History....

Tonight in yoga I talked about how we come to the practice of yoga, starting with the postures and by stepping to the front of our yoga mat. It is just the start of a yoga practice. The front of our yoga mat represents the PLACE-- a holder of space for our practice, wherever it leads us. However, yoga's first asana was the seated position, a place to sit our butt down and DO yoga. That could include meditation, pranyama, pratayahara etc.... but it wasn't about the perfect down dog. We get caught up (as humans do) about the perfect posture, the RIGHT way to do this or that, yet we forget that the showing up and being present IS the yoga. It is the act of peeling away the blinders that alters our vision, so we see clearly and authentically. Patanjali teaches us this, in the Yoga Sutras, which is roughly 3,000 years old. We bow down to the historical figures (homage IS due), yet not at the cost of being in the now. We ride on the shoulders of those that came before us, yet we are not eternally at their heels. History is often what gets us....living in the past, repeating mistakes, or learning from them and transcending them. Perhaps we live for history even within yoga? What if we were to live and BE in the moments BEFORE history is created? JUST BY SHOWING UP AND BEING PRESENT? Today will be a magical day in history.... those of us who showed up, voted, and believed in a country and a World where race/gender/economic status was not a factor in the value of a person. We listened, observed, and yes even judged our candidates for who they were right now...and we chose someone who represents authentically what the United States of America really is. I bow down to Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and all the others that shed real blood and suffered great pain. My great-great-great-great grandfather, Sitting Bull of the Sioux Nation, would be proud. These people created history by being in the present, doing what they believed to be the right thing through their authenticity. We ride on their shoulders today, for they have lifted us up. The USA is diverse, multi-cultural, multi-race, and is showing up to be present and counted. Let's continue to be in front of history.  When we show up, pay attention, & BE PRESENT....great & magical things happen.

CONGRATULATIONS AMERICA!!! Now spread your wings and fly.