3/27/20

I don't know about you, but I've had a lot of feelings of being alone in the last 24 hours. Not lonely, just alone. Sometimes that is a glorious feeling of freedom, and sometimes that is a stark feeling of isolation. When I found myself in the stark feeling of isolation, I looked at what I thought I was missing - what was going on inside of me that caused me to focus on that stark feeling of isolation? What did I feel like I was missing? The quick answer is some more yoga. LOL! And when I looked deeper at what I felt like I wasn't getting in our current mode of self-isolation, I remembered that everything we need is inside of us. I've been getting this teaching for 20 years, and giving this teaching for 18. The source of connection, joy, love and bliss is inside of each and every one of us. You've experienced that during the final Shavasana in a class, and during your meditations... are there other times your yoga practice has given you a taste of the nectar provided by your internal source?

The challenge with that teaching is that the source of connection, joy, love and bliss is buried inside of us, and it is our job to uncover it. All of the Svaroopa® practices peel away the layers of not-knowing that hide our true nature from us. So, Gurudevi's edict to "Do More Yoga" is more than a catchy little phrase meant to inspire us - it is the key to uncovering the source within. It's so easy, especially in our current situation, to think "If only I could see my friends or my family... or if only I could go to my favorite restaurant where I know everyone... or if only I could go sit on the beach and meditate with the waves... then I would be happy, then I would feel OK". Have you found yourself thinking like that? The beauty of this practice is that you can be OK without any of that. In fact, you are OK, you are always OK, and your task is to remember that, and embody it. And what an incredible gift of time we have to continue that inner exploration right now. It might not always be pretty, and it will always be worthwhile.

Now, I'm sure there are yogis reading this that are self-isolating with other people, who would give anything for some time alone. Are you able to be compassionate with the other people in your immediate vicinity? You have the same opportunity for a deep dive into your Self, and the other people in your world may make that a little challenging. I can appreciate that. I think regardless of your situation, this is a helpful reminder - 

"Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our choice which garden we will tend. Whe we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present, the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience Heaven on Earth." - Sarah Ban Breathnach