Like so much that matters, progressing in the direction of ahimsa starts with awareness. Awareness of the stories I tell myself about myself and others; awareness of how these stories fuel judgement and feelings of insecurity, resentment, guilt and the rest; and awareness that these stories, beliefs and feelings do not define me and that I have the capacity to outgrow them, to shed them like a snake sheds its old skin. 

Well, friends, its March in Carolina.  And you know what that means.  No, I’m not talking about college basketball (at least not in this newsletter). Nope. There’s nothing like a bit of spring cleaning to clear out some of the junk blocking the flow.  Alas, no, we’re not going to solve Pittsboro’s water quality challenges with a little elbow grease.  But working together we can make our little corner of the world a little bit healthier and more beautiful. 

As we do most years, the Yoga Garden Community is participating in the Haw River Clean-Up- A-Thon to show some loving kindness to our local waterways.

Well, what if I let you in on a little secret?  There’s this thing that reduces feelings of stress and anxiety, helps with sleep, improves focus and may even spark creativity and enhance athletic performance.  Oh, and support spiritual development if that is your thing. No, I’m not talking about Clark Stanley’s famous Snake Oil Liniment, Professor Mack’s Miracle Elixir of Life or a new superfood or cure-all supplement.  Nor are we talking about a radical life re-set involving a strict regimen of diet and exercise. 

But life is, indeed, calling each of us to do our best to fulfill our unique set of duties.  What can we do to make sure we are ready to meet the need of the hour?   One of my favorite ways to prepare myself is to get on my yoga mat to cultivate presence, awareness, strength, flexibility and balance.   Acting to the best of our ability, bringing an intention to be of service and relinquishing attachment to any particular outcome.

Most impactful has been drilling deep into the “why.” Yoga was not developed over thousands of years as a tool to sculpt a nice butt (though that may be a nice side effect for some of us). Rather, it is a set of tools to help us refine our state of consciousness. Skillfully applied, these tools have the power to help us be whole, be held, be loved and be love.

One thing that makes this training so powerful is that there is no faith required. The miracles of existence and awareness are ever present. With a bit of mindful practice, each of us has the opportunity to see the miracles and understand that each of us is an integral part of them.