Tuesday, September 8, 2009


Isn't it amazing how we get so busy during the summer months, with garden and house projects, family gatherings, travel, weddings, music festivals and camping trips? I love how in the summer time, we’re called to spend more time outside communing with friends and nature and basking in the joys of life.

In Anusara Yoga®, basking in the richness of life is part of our spiritual practice. We endeavor to engage with the full range of life experiences as they arise in each moment. Like the tomato plants stretching towards the sunlight, we strive to drink in life's rich nectar through our whole body and the five senses: the taste of sweet summer berries, the touch of the warm sand between our toes, the delicate fragrance of the roses, the precious bird songs of early morning, and the outrageous visual displays of flowers and grasses shining in their full glory. When we let our senses guide us, we find that we can open to the present moment just as it is, and we feel more joy in our heart, awake in our body, and alive in our spirit.

With summer’s abundance of delicious scents, colors and tastes, it’s a perfect time to practice drinking in life through your senses. Next time you see a sunflower, take a moment to let its exquisite radiance pierce your heart. When you pop a blackberry into your mouth, pause to savor the rush of flavor hitting your tongue. Next time you’re at the beach, stop to let the ocean’s roaring vibration penetrate your being. Next time you’re in downward dog, open your mind to all of the senses simultaneously and notice how alive you feel.

This is fully experiencing life. This is fully living. This is yoga.

May you joyfully drink in the precious nectar of these final summer days as if they were your last. May you take this opportunity to practice opening to the full spectrum of sense experiences, without judging one as greater or lesser. May this practice open your heart with gratitude for the many gifts of this life, and may the gratitude of your heart touch everyone you meet.