"Namaste", choruses the class.
At the conclusion of our session, a blanket of pure peace and tranquility rests like a comforting quilt over the studio. Our instructor stood gracefully and skipped across the floor in joyous and energetic tempo unique only to himself. Sensing rather than seeing this genuine happiness forced me into a smile.
In the silence of the room, as the practitioners packed their belongings, we all shared a simple harmony with one other. It was if we all held the same secret. and not a single person would risk coming out to say it. Yet we all knew. No words needed to be exchanged; we were cautious not to disrupt the blanket of peace.
Again, I could not help but grin to myself. The pure euphoria I felt when finishing such a yoga practice was indescribable. The perfect stillness my mind had achieved, the sense of accomplishment I embodied, and the clear focus I had on the present moment. There was something so unique to this energy that explaining it to someone who has not felt it was impossible. I expect it is similar to people with near death experiences attempting to describe their journey into the light with an atheist.
Even so, I am going to try to attempt to illustrate what this feeling is like.
You feel a deep vibration through the entire body, as if your spirit is humming; your soul is internally harmonized with the external vibrations of the universe. You breathe deep through the nose and feel the cool, refreshing air recharge and refill every nook and cranny if your physical body. Your focus is so sharp that you can dial in on any one sensation and the rest of the world melts away as you concentrate on that singular entity. You find yourself smiling, a real, genuine smile. One that radiates positive energy.
A smile that begins deep, deep within - bubbling up from some far away spring, beyond our physical body. A spring of eternal and everlasting love and pure energy. Through your practice, you've tapped into that free flowing water and established a connection, a link to some otherworldly place. Even though this place is foreign to you, it's as if you've been there before. The path that connects you here has been well traveled, and although it is your first time traveling along it, you know each and every turn.
You feel a unity with all other beings in the universe, especially those who've shared the practice with you. You also have a profound love and respect for the instructors themselves, as they are the ones who've guided you along this journey. The teacher has showed you the entrance to the well traveled path, and through the freeing of your spirit, you allowed the tether to your physical being unravel long enough to reach the eternal spring.
With this unity comes an understanding. You begin to see the connection that we all share. You see past physical appearances and external factors that have driven our egos to act and behave a certain way. The yoga practice is an ego dissolving action. Fear is removed from our hearts easily and readily, as we surrender to the practice. Once fear is removed, the ego is tamed. And once the ego is no longer the dictator of our reactions to events, we become present within our true self. Being present within our true self allows us to feel and sense the connection between each individual, and with the deep, underlying fabric of the universe.
It is as if a dark shroud is removed from our mind's eye, and all of a sudden we can see clearly. The world is illuminated in utmost clarity. Our purpose is clear. Clarity such as this must be what resemble what is know as "enlightenment" in most religious texts.
Each yoga practice is a new lesson. Every time I roll up my mat, I've connected to some infinite source and acquired some new knowledge, an ancient wisdom. Words are spoken to me in an unknown and unheard language, yet the meaning is known to me, and the words are very clear. I say this in utmost sincerity. I believe that through regular yoga practice, by surrendering yourself on your yoga mat, answers come unbidden to you.
Worldly challenges become blessings, and opportunities for growth. Nothing is too difficult. You care much more deeply for yourself and by doing so, you genuinely care for others. By giving this unconditional love and respect, you attract love and respect from others. The things your ego and society tells you that you want and desire, melt away to make room for what your true self truly wants and truly desires.
If you are reading this then that means I've captured your attention through my ramblings. My only intention is to share the love and respect that I feel towards you. I do not wish to place expectations upon you, that you must practice yoga to feel the same way, or that you must practice yoga to come to these realizations. You may or may not practice yoga. You may or may not meditate. You may be as you are. Allow yourself to find peace in what it is that you do.
Allow yourself to remove your focus on what is negative in your life, as soon as this focus shifts, you will sense more freely the positive vibrations of the universe. Yoga is just one way that I've found has accelerated this ability. You may find it through prayer, through charity, through aid to others, through writing, through reading, through cooking, through cleaning.... you may find this peace through all of these things or none of these things. How you find this peace is up to you - all you must do, is surrender yourself to it. You must simply allow it.
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