Ancient visions of cosmic dismemberment and ego destruction meet modern yoga practice with its focus on self-care and self-worth in this episode of The Emerald.

In creation myths around the world, from Scandinavia to India to Mexico, dismemberment is a central theme — a vision in which a primal oneness is torn into pieces to create this universe of diversity. This cosmic dismemberment is also reflected in the experience of the individual practitioner, who, in their journey towards finding wholeness, must themselves go through some type of disassembly or tearing apart of the constructs of small self in order to find connection to that which is eternal and universal. Shamanic acolytes around the globe experience — while in trance — their own dismemberment. Tantric practitioners of the chöd ritual in Tibet conduct an elaborate meditative self-dismemberment. It is nearly universal — practice involves some type of letting go of identity constructs. How then, does this vision meld with the modern vision of yoga practice, in which practice serves as more of an accessory to identity and a bolstering of ego than a tearing apart of identity? How do teachings on ego-destruction meet an identity-driven world?

Dismembered Frost Giants and the Core-Power Paradox — Self-Care Meets Self-Obliteration in an Identity-Driven World.

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