Has my heart gone to sleep? . . . No, my heart is not asleep. It is awake, wide awake. – Antonio Machado (19th century Spanish Poet) Complete Poem Here
I just returned from teaching in Mexico City. I was surprised to see people there grappling with the same issues that confront us here in the USA: financial instability, environmental degradation, the fast pace of life, and a deep longing for a better way of life that invites forth more of our humanity and dignity. Yogis all over the world are choosing a practice that invites change, that calls us into the arena to be more open, to feel more deeply and live with greater passion and aliveness — so we are not just a “stranger on this dark earth.” (Rilke)
We are called to open our hearts to feel more fully, this is an ever deepening journey of intimacy with ourselves and the world. As yogis we want the flexibility to be able to open our hearts when appropriate and close our hearts when necessary. This pulsation of opening and closing is called spanda in Sanskrit
May our yoga practice today, awaken us to the spanda of our own hearts that we may be aware of the times when we are closing and the times when we are opening, that we may live more skillfully, more consciously, with a greater ability to give and receive Love.
