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Hello gang!
Summertime! Just in time! A time to drink in more colors and smells and sounds, the feel of dirt on hands, grass under bare feet, singing birds, and sunlight mediated by more humidity. The earth prepares a robust symphony during the summer.
And yet, being too open can also be tricky. In this time of social media and sensationalism, political dysfunction, global warming, the war in Gaza, mass shootings, and on and on, it’s easy to become overwhelmed.
The good news is that insights drawn from yoga poses can help both issues. A yoga practice teaches you the profound, reciprocal relationship between inner and outer states of consciousness. To let the outside in in a healthier way, we need to live more fully in our bodies.
In a yoga pose, you learn to receive more deeply through the senses, both inwardly and outwardly. To know how to access your own midline, to know how to keep your shape and even expand, your body is crucial. An awake body and spine open the senses to your surroundings. It’s also what keeps you in the present and not grinding about important things that your mind cannot directly control. We have a mind AND a body for good reasons.
When you are more grounded and centered in your body, letting the outside in can feel life-enhancing and hopeful. Living more fully through the body’s senses helps you smell flowers AND read the newspaper. It helps you remember what’s important.
So have that morning cup of coffee outside or take that walk after dinner. Smell things, touch things, and learn to smile with your mouth and chest simultaneously. Take the outside in on an inhalation and let it out on exhalation. And drink, drink, drink the summer symphony!
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