I see the moon. The moon sees me.

Namaste, dear readers.

I write to you from a place of fullness in my practice.  Almost like the beautifully full moon that danced across the sky last night and into this morning, the yoga has been bright within me– unobscured by negative thoughts or tension.  I write this, because a note from a friend recently reminded me yet again of how everything is cyclical (just like that majestic moon) and that observing these cycles can be a beautiful practice itself.

One place we observe cycles is in tension we hold in our physical body.  I am blessed with tight hips, and I have come to treasure the ways in which this tightness keeps me in the present moment.  There are days (or months!) when the tightness is intense.  These periods allow me to go deeply into my breath, to really witness the thoughts that arise in my mind when I encounter the tightness, to truly bless the human experience I am having in those tight hips!  There are other times when the tightness has abated almost completely– I find playfulness in those moments as I dance through deep hip-openers.  Another component of tracking the tension like this is noticing the impact my life “off the mat” is having on my body– not judging it, just noticing it. It truly is what it is.

We of course also have mental and emotional cycles as well.  Getting in touch with these patterns takes similar sensitivity and humility.  Changes come softly, fluidly and we must respect the process.  In those moments when I shake my fist at a driver who nearly runs me over on my bike (this upsets me!), if I can become aware of the feelings I have in that moment, bless them, and release them rather than beat myself up over losing my cool, I’m  on my way to transforming that negative pattern into a positive one.

As I sat in meditation last night, after singing along to the angelic devotional sounds of Chandra Om and Shiva’s Garden, I practiced a version of lovingkindness meditation using the moon.  The moon’s beams of light bathed me, and I became aware that “the moon sees me.”  In that moment, I sent all love to the moon.  I then watched as the moon’s beams touched all beings in that moment, radiating that bit of love I transmitted back out to all things.  It was quite powerful.

This morning, as I walked across frosty grass as the sun began to lighten the sky, the moon shone just as brightly– inspiring me to remember that the transformative power of love is always there for us, as long as we are open to receive its message.

Namaste.

I see the moon
and the moon sees me
The moon sees the somebody I’d like to see.
God bless the moon
and God bless me
God bless the somebody I’d like to see.