Dear Mind, Let it be....

DEAR MIND, let it be....

WHEN all your exes are happily in love with someone else and definitely  not looking back at you and there's still no one new next to ya to show off... But man, the liberty to flirt with those firefighters at the gas station  sure was sweet. WHEN all your girlies are picking out wedding dresses or baby cribs and your wondering how many yoga mats and kayaks you can fit in your truck and still be able to sleep in it... WHEN you're not the best pick for the job you hoped, but still someone asked you for your help with something. WHEN there's still so much hatred in the world, but you know that one smile WILL make a difference.

In one part of my mind I could see some of these things as a world that has gone on without me, and perhaps an excuse to turn in, flake out, give up... watch tv and call it good.

In another part of my mind I can see this as inspiration, I guess I do value those things too, and YES I'd like to have that. Yes, the world has A LOT of awful in it, but that doesn't give me an excuse to flake out on the movement of peace or forget what I know about love and how it REALLY works.  And then, in the most important part of my mind-and heart- that faithful little voice says but today WAS good/ and it sure was pretty/ and peace was there through several moments, and that's better than none. You learned some things, you showed someone something beautiful, and you took a moment to smile at nature. You decided your worth, communicated it, and felt some love ripple back from it. You got a good path ahead of you too little lady and things are only things. The heart ticks in many different rhythms. Today was enough. Dear mind, " Let it be. "....

Dharana: the love that binds.

There are good binds and bad binds in life; choose wisely.

When we dive deeper into our spiritual practice and asana practice we begin to see the what binds us in life, what keeps us tight and wound up like a knot.  We also begin to explore these bonds more effectively and mindfully with intention. As we become more curious and flexible we begin to manipulate our bodies into binds. These binds are energetic holds that give us more power and ease in our body, mind and heart. We feel more at ease, even when we are tied up like a ribbon. 

In Patanjali's yoga sutras "Dharana" is a word most commonly translated as "concentration"  or "meditation". While just concentration alone with out the element of meditation can make our bodies tense and tight, we find it harder to breathe and find comfort. When we invite Dharana into our practice we find what Nischala Joy Devi in "The Secret Power of Yoga" calls "Easeful Awareness". This awareness brings us into a higher state of consciousness where energy flows freely between us and source, even if we are in our mind or in a bind twisted up like a knot. By practicing Asana binds and mudras we are preparing our minds for steadiness in the storms of life, so when the waves do get rough in life, when we get tied up in a knot, we can come back in to this Dharana state and find peace.

Then through this peace, we see that everything is love. The tight spots, the tense spots, the open spots, the new spots. Each piece is an opportunity to open up and find love. Anchor yourself to Dharana to the energetic binds of love and pure consciousness and see its ripple effect into all you encounter in life.

Ardha Badda Padma Virshasana // Half Bound Lotus Tree Pose