Musings on Yoga and life with Robyn Smith

Happy Solstice!

I love this poem by the great American poet, Mary Oliver:

The Summer Day

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

A few weeks ago, I used this poem as the theme for my classes, as the last line had called to me so strongly in my quest for clarity and truth:
Tell me, what is it you plan to do 
with your one wild and precious life?
In addition to this call for clarity, I love the overall feeling of solace, prayer and reverence she generates in the poem (especially because it can be such a great support for the clarity we all seek)! It reminds me to slow down and listen to myself, to the nature of my own being, and to seek my answers there. What is it I plan to do? What is it that truly resonates with my soul?

For me, the summer time can be a wonderful period of deeper listening. I find myself with less work and more time at home, in the garden, dancing at festivals, teaching and playing at yoga retreats, and exploring the wilds of nature. Even though I may be traveling more, my activities are often geared towards play, connection, and relaxation. This is so deeply nourishing for my inner being!

This year, I feel myself taking a big pause, like a retreat, to re-evaluate the trajectory of my life and what I want to create and manifest for the busy season of Fall and the new year ahead. So I'm basking in this precious pause, truly letting myself slow down, eating in silence, writing, reading, taking longer baths, and soaking in the present wonderful moment.

Tell me, what do you plan to do with this wild and precious summer?

Which reminds me, if you are needing some sacred retreat time for yoga in nature, communing with friends and frolicking in the river and on the mat, there is still room in our August Trinity River Retreat (see side bar). We'd love to share it with you and help you to dive in deeper to your practice!