Here we are in September, taking in these beautiful, final days of summer. Outdoor yoga season is almost over, and the weather has truly been a gift to imbibe: the warmth of the sun, the bluest of blue skies, breezes kissing the skin, fresh air as balm for the breath. The miracle of nature surrounds, abounds, and invites. We each take a different shape, but we are not separate from each other or our surroundings.

SAVASANA in the sunshine!

You Are a Receiver

In The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell suggests that we all need room for quiet & solitude to receive life's gifts. We're like receivers that absorb what we take in & tell ourselves on a regular basis, including all the interference that comes along with that! So it's helpful to notice what we're "tuning in" to. Campbell says,

"You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don't know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don't know who your friends are, you don't know what you owe anybody, you don't know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen."

I love the idea that the "sacred place" can be an actual place, or a moment in time; but for something to happen, Campbell implies we need a few necessary components: "quiet" and the resolve to practice with consistency. It doesn't have to be an hour of yoga practice. It doesn't have to feel like another task to fit into your busy schedule. It doesn't have to be complicated.

A simple practice you might try? To begin, set aside just 5 minutes of time in your day; when you first wake up, mid-day, or to unwind at the end of the day. Find a quiet place where you can tune in: to your breath, to your heart, to what your spirit is calling you to.

Different, Not Separate

Gil Hedley is one of my favorite teachers. Both philosopher & anatomist, he is a celebrator of the human body & spirit and its wonders & mysteries. Instead of using his knowledge to restrict or narrow, or say "that's all there is to it," he uses it to explore and open to mystery; in my opinion, a hugely important component that's sometimes missing in certain circles these days. Here he is, waxing both practically & poetically about separation versus difference.