Aim to become the lake

Reading from Tuesday, June 23, 2015 yoga class

Another jewel from the book "Yoga for Life" by Colleen Saidman Yee

Colleen is speaking of her teacher training and how she had the privilege of meeting Sri Swami Satchidananda.  She says:

"Satchidananda said that when we are practicing pranayama (a channeling of the prana or "life force" through breath work), we are closest to God during the pause at the end of the exhalation.  He explained that the pause is the experience of space and peace.

Yoga is about the search for space, physically and emotionally.  We aren't trying to erase our stories, but to place them in a larger context.  What happens when you put a teaspoon of salt into a cup of water? The water becomes highly salty.  What happens when you put a teaspoon  of salt into a lake? The teaspoon of salt is still there, but its impact is minimal.

In yoga, we aim to become the lake, to put our problems and issues into that larger context so we aren't thrown off balance as easily, so we can keep connected to our centers."