"Don't sweat the small stuff" is an all too familiar cliché that’s thrown around. Sounds great! Sign me up! But wait, here’s the fine print: Putting these five little words into action is exasperating when daily life consists of dozens of small things to fuss about. I consider myself a highly educated individual and understanding the idea of not “Sweating the small stuff” on an intellectual level is pretty simple; however, internalizing and actually living by these words is a whole other story.

The notion of kaivalya in yoga philosophy describes the effect of being in a continuous state of samadhi. Samadhi is only attainable by following the eight-limbs of yoga. “Kevala” translates as "to keep to oneself" so it is often described as isolation or an aloofness. When in a state of kaivalya, an individual becomes so keenly aware of the world around them that they begin to exist within it without being subject to it. Unaffected. There is no good outcome. There is no bad outcome. Things are as they are and the only controllable is the individual’s reaction to any given situation. This isn't to say that worldly circumstances cease to apply, only that wherever this individual may be, he or she ceases to become a victim of those circumstances. The material world is as it is. It has no other meaning beyond what we as humans ascribe to it. The material world is a social construction.

The key element to finding kaivalya is acceptance and/or receptivity. As if stepping into another dimension, one steps into a state of kaivalya through a devoted asana and pranayama practice and most importantly through extinguishing old patterns of thinking and conditioning. As we ride the wave of life we learn that certain ways of being and the habits giving rise to these ways of being aren't necessarily optimal. Acknowledging this is the first step towards transforming the negativity permeating our consciousness into a new order, which develops from our changing behavior. As long as these two opposing forces are at play we remain stuck. Once we can truly let go of old patterns the mind no longer oscillates between these two forces and the kaivalya continuum is experienced. There is no way to pinpoint entry into this other dimension just as there is no way to pinpoint the exact moment we fall asleep.