The end of summer, a time for reflection

I met a woman in Trivandrum who told me she was a "yoga therapist," meaning that she combined yoga postures with therapy. At the time I thought, well, isn't that kinda like the department of redundancy department? In my experience, yoga has been like therapy, just without the talking part. The physical practice of yoga (asana) has made it possible for me to clear emotional, mental and spiritual hurdles that kept me stuck for many years. This works because all our experiences imprint us just as physically as they do mentally. Put another way, as my Guruji said, "Sister, there is no mind apart from the foot."

Understanding this arose from regular meditation practice. Living it would undoubtedly come from more meditation practice, and I do my best. But the fact is, I still do the majority of my meditation on my yoga mat.


Gomateshwara at a Jain temple in Karnataka, one of the largest monolithic statues in the world, one of the seven wonders of India.

Let's face it, asana is hard work. It's just not normal to engage the breath and energy locks while simultaneously exerting and relaxing oneself. During practice I go into a kind of a trance. This has allowed me to see how it's possible off the mat to be having two separate experiences--a person might challenge me in some way that is not relevant to our interaction. To move toward my goal of finding the best in every person I encounter (lofty? yes. doable? well, not so yet and maybe never, but that's ok, too), I need to find a way to stay in our interaction without letting the weight of my personal history interfere. 

This time of year is the perfect example. I dread the end of summer, and so, as the days get shorter, I'll be focusing interactions. How we work with each other, and as a meditative reflection during postures.

Hope to see you in class!

Namaste.