Life Force in Everything:
The word Prana is defined as Life Force or Chi. It animates the body and brings life to the world around us.It is a dancing, brilliant cosmic intelligence that allows things to shine brilliantly forth. It pulls us out of ourselves and insists on our bigness. The flow of Prana sings within you and asks you to shine your very brightest. You can recognize it everywhere. You can see it in the eyes of Veterans when they remove their caps for the playing of "God Bless America". You can find it in good art that calls to you and in music that stirs you. It's easy to see in puppies and babies and in the faces of children when they laugh. It can fill yoga poses and thread itself into musical notes. It is weaved into sunsets and apples and even in the tears that fall upon your chest in deep embrace.
As a yogi, I look for the Pranic expression in everything. Sometimes it's hard to see and requires deep listening through sensitive ears and clear vision through bright eyes. But if practice you will see it dancing in the corners and glittering off oceans and within rocks and food and even in the eyes of those you are angry with. The thing about Prana is that is connects as all in some way. You can feel it during a really good yoga class or during the 4th of July parade. You can see it at museums when people take in a really good piece of art or in the face of someone listening to precisely the right piece of music at the right time. Prana itself orchestrates a divine dance in which all dancers are asked to allow the very best of them to radiate forth. Sharpening your discrimination in order to experience prana inspires your fellow dancers to do the same. There is no reason for the dance, no need to earn it or be good at it or be anything different than what you already are. You are simply invited to join the dance for the sheer joy of dancing within Prana herself.
Liking Nice Things: The thing with my financial dilemma is I like nice things; handmade things, good pieces of art and carefully crafted clothing. I like good organic food and 100% cotton sheets. To my eye, they have more Prana in them, as if the artist, musician or farmer added some of his light into the thing and made it bigger, more full somehow. Having these things in my life, being with them; seeing, tasting, touching,hearing and smelling them, seems to call me forth to shine a little bit brighter. They stir the Prana in me so my humanity feels fuller, shinier, and expansive. Witnessing their pranic expression helps me to feel connected and in union with something bigger than me. The word yoga itself means union and as a practicing yogi it gives me a way to live my yoga.
A life full of particle board furniture and plastic dishes can get to you after a while, deplete you, make you feel small and lonely. This isn't to say I'm irresponsible. I have hard-won from failing to practice Aparigraha and Santosa. Practicing yoga has allowed me the ability to understand that I don't really own anything. It's all part of one big, fluid pranic pie .I don't need these things to define myself or provide sense gratification anymore. I have begun to cultivate deep gratitude for their fullness. I have a deep appreciation for the way they make me smile inside and fill me with admiration and reverence for the effulgent force of Prana. I instantly feel grateful to the artist, handcrafter or farmer who made the brave effort to bring the thing to creation. I can feel the artists light in his carefully crafted words and within the notes of a beautiful song. I notice the love the carpenter offered the wood and the reverence the seamstress has for her material. I relate with their wares and feel a sense of connection to all who have experienced them. I become full, overflowing and spilling from my edges. Living life in this way helps me to move beyond myself and inspires a generous spirit within me. The experience brings effortless practice of Aparigraha and Santosa in a way that fear and contraction could never achieve.
Promise Yourself Flow: I made a promise to myself and my children this year: when we are able, I am going to find some of those people that were on the welfare lines with us with fear in their eyes. I'm not going to get them something practical like canned goods or new shoes. I'm not even going to get those 100% Egyptian cotton sheets or a finely crafted piece of furniture because that but that would be my dream. No, I'm going to ask them to pick one thing they would really love to have, something beautiful and full. Something that they would never buy themselves because they feel it's too much, they can't afford or they don't deserve it. I'm going to ask them to pick something that stirs them inside, something that makes them feel full and alive and brings life back into their eyes. I'll ask them to think of something that calls them forth to shine brilliantly whenever their ears, eyes, hands, nose or tongue lights upon it. I'm going to insist on their bigness for one day and then I'm taking them shopping.
Copyright (c) 2010 Suzanne Wells
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