Flow down the river of yoga

Reading from Wednesday, April 9, 2014 yoga class

From the book, "Meditations from the Mat" by Rolf Gates

...an invitation to get inot the canoe of your practice and flow down the river of yoga.  You many go deep, into uncharted waters; you will surely encounter challenges and delights along the way.  But first you must get into that canoe and let go.  In class I say, let your practice be a refuge from the need to control.  And I suggest the same to you: get out of the driver's seat for a while and enjoy the scenery.  Let the river of yoga take you where it will.  If you hit whitewater, stay in the canoe and keep paddling.  When you enter calm pools, do the same.  At a Native American gathering, a Hopi elder said: "There is a river flowing now, very fast.  It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.  They will try to hold on to the shore.  They will feel they are being torn apart and suffer greatly.  Know that the river has its destination.  The elders say we must push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open and our heads above the water.  See who is in there with you and celebrate.  At this time in history we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves, for the moment we do that, our spiritual growth comes to a halt.  The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves; banish the world 'struggle' form your attitude and vocabulary.  All that we do now must be done in a sacred way and in celebration.  We are the ones we've been waiting for."

Now, go to your mat and push off from the shore.