Victory to Spirit

Sunflower field in Eden, WI

Jai Bhagwan is Sanskrit for "Victory to spirit." Sanskrit has many translations because one word can have multiple meanings.

Jai = victory or victorious 

But Bhagwan means "spirit" as well as, "blessed" "divine" and "prosperous".

When I say Jai Bhagwan at the end of a yoga practice or meditation, or when I say it to someone as a greeting or in passing, what the phrase means is, I wish for the greatest good, and the best outcome, for all. 

I wish for the spirit, the divine, and the abundant universe to provide the best possible outcome for a given situation - because if I chose how everything would turn out, I would make a big huge mess.

Surrendering to spirit, or letting go of an outcome means you release your expectation to something bigger than yourself. Surrendering does not mean you sit back and watch the Universe unfold perfectly in your favor in front of you. You still have to put in a lot of effort, and a lot of trial and error in order to dance with God, and achieve your goals or intentions. And your goals (as you see them) might not be the best path for you - that is up to the Universe. But if we all act on faith that no matter what happens, no matter how painful or ugly life gets, there is something bigger conspiring towards the greatest good for all, then we can at least move forward with love in our hearts instead of turmoil and judgement. We can work towards our desires without fearing that they won't come to us. We can take solace that even when things appear to be going not as planned, all of it is in our favor. It just doesn't look the way we had expected.

The greatest good for all might mean something happens that you wouldn't define as "good". The greatest good for all might mean you have to do something you don't want to do. The greatest good for all might mean you have to leave something you're not ready to let go. The greatest good for all might mean you have to change something you're currently afraid to change. 

Take a minute and ask yourself, "What do I need to hear right now?" Your heart already knows. Your wise intuition tells you the next right move. You don't have to resist your inner voice just because it's telling you to do something you don't want to do. There's a difference between talking yourself out of something hard and following your gut. When you follow your gut you feel at peace. You might be struggling, exhausted, or in pain, but your brain is not in turmoil. You're not making excuses. You can welcome all of the heartache, and despite how badly it feels right now, something greater tells you it's going to be ok. The situation will shift and pass, and you will come out better on the other side. That's how achieving the greatest good for all works - it works in everyone's favor.

Jai Bhagwan, Molly