~virayogins~
with great gratitude and respect, happy new year.
* the gift of light *
if you're reading this, you already know
how readily your body responds when you practice yoga.
you give specific attention during your practice and
sense a feeling of well-being and stability in your phyiscal body.
this attention is the gift you give to yourself
and everyone around you- it enhances your clarity and
awakens your awareness of the goodness all around you.

since our muscles and our brains are all made of
the same core energy- light- photons,
we can cultivate that soundness in our minds
the way we do in our bodies in our practice,
very specifically, using our attention.

easy yoga example:
tadasana, mountain pose.
stand for a moment, root the four corners of your feet
[big toe ball, inner heel, little toe ball, outer heel].
your feet are always there, but now you've put your attention there
and you've brought more energy - light -
to create balance and stability where you're standing.
have a seat so you can keep reading.

day-to-day life example:
any interaction or conversation.
put your attention first on your breath
to gather information about your
automatic assumptions and responses.
if your breath is nourishing and even,
it's likely that you're present, listening.

if your breath is short and choppy, you'll likely observe
that you're saying/doing something you'll later question/regret.

think of it this way. when you hear an instruction in class,
you usually stop doing whatever it was you were doing,
you breathe to put your attention where the teacher suggests
and make a shift to create more stability to find the opening in pose.

this is exactly what we can do in daily life:
freeze. halt. pause. listen.
stop thinking/talking/moving
for the moment, BREATHE;
this interruption helps us see clearly into any moment to
determine exactly where we place
our energy, our light, our gift.
less reacting, more creating.

the gift of your attention, that light, is already inherently yours.
when you give it thoughtfully by slowing down
and shining it just where you choose,
you're giving the gift to everyone around you
without ever diminishing it.
the more care you take with this precious gift,
the more is made available from within you.

~ enjoy ~
elena, lynn and the staff of virayoga