I have been going to hot yoga for a couple weeks now and oh my is it ever amazing! When I walked into the studio for the first time I was overcome by the beauty of the place. It was so sensual. It smelled, felt, looked, sounded and tasted beautiful. The taste was not by mouth but by soul. I longed to be there and take in all of it. All of what it had to offer. I was surrounded by a raw sense of grounded enlightenment. The class itself was overwhelming, at first, it has gotten easier since. I find it amazing the amount of meditation I have to do in order to get through a class. The mental task of going is almost as much as the physical. It starts at 6am when I am awoken by the soft subtle sounds of my alarm as I am gently carried from my dream state to a waking state of consciousness. I first fight with myself about getting out of my warm bed, but than I always remind myself how wonderful I will feel the rest of the day. I do this for myself and no one else. I get ready and then drive for thirty minutes to get to the studio. Once I am there I can’t wait to see what it- the palpable presence of the yogic energy- has to offer me that day. I go through the motions in a trance of introspective delight and hard work. I breathe through the physical pain and move beyond it because I know it is solely mind over matter. I get through it and before I know it the time for Savassana or “corpse pose” has arrived. I lay there imagining how my day will manifest and there is an underlying sense of accomplishment; a smile on my face and a glow in my heart and I can hardly wait for the next class. With deep reverance I whisper a meaningful Namaste’.
I just spent a lovely nine days on the south west side of beautiful Maui. I spent nine days breathing in the sweet Maui air and enjoying the trade winds blowing through my hair. I could appreciate life at a deeper level than the days of running around trying to get my priorities “straight.” I was able to listen clearly to myself and the words that sprang from my mouth without judgment and only love. I saw reflections of myself in the eyes of my eleven year old brother and was able to stand as a mirror for my fifty-one year old mother. I saw my father as if I was still an eight year old little girl with wide eyes and wonder. I was cradled in the arms of Kihei and held in the womb of the island and it felt good. Being comforted by the sound of breezes reminding me to breathe and enjoy the very moment of my existence. To give thanks for the time spent with family and myself. Not as an ego but as a soul. Listening to what my soul had to say for a change. Wow. Maui is good for the soul like a cold drink on a hot summers day; refreshing and much, much needed. My higher-self whispered in my ear the day I left, ‘take nothing for granted and live everyday with gratitude for each day is a precious gift,’ and I am listening!
Living healthy daily doesn’t just stand for what we put into our bodies or how we move, it is also an awareness of who we really are. Who we are inside. Deep inside. The places we are afraid to go, it is so deep inside. That person.
With that said not only is it about who we really are but recognizing the truth in others as well. And recognizing where others are in their journey to finding their own truth. And respecting that journey with the knowing we are all on this planet together, why not walk it in peace and love and TRUTH. Look into your neighbors eyes; your lovers eyes; your child’s eyes and your own eyes to find these truths and really LOOK. Do not fear for fear is just an illusion.
I am I and you are you and you are me and I am you and we are we and we are one! Let us live our lives that way so we all may share in the fruits of our efforts and the blessings in our bounty. What an amazing life we live! Give thanks!