śrī: sacredness

My teacher once said that little things can add up to something significant. This teaching was accompanied by a picture of a dry leaf falling down from a tree. At the time I thought it was a nice teaching but did not know what else to do with it. Months later during the fall season, I was riding on a bus and struggling to figure out how to make a living in New York City. As the bus passed by a park I noticed dry leaves falling from the trees creating large piles all over. In that moment, I remembered the teaching and also realized how I had been so focused on getting big work projects only. After that I started taking on as many little projects as I could and eventually they added up. 

The aspect of śrī we are focusing this week is sacredness. This is a quality very easily dismissed as only related to spiritual or religious matters. Sacredness arises when we see beyond the utilitarian use of things and recognize the deeper significance that shines through ordinary experience.

The leaves stopped being just leaves. They became carriers of meaning. Their significance became visible. They became things that shifted perception to recognize that life possesses an intrinsic worth that exceeds its everyday usefulness. In this recognition we experience sacredness in every moment.

Every time we step into our mat to practice yoga, we stretch and strengthen but we ultimately come to know ourselves through this practice. That to me is the most profound value of practicing yoga.

I look forward to seeing you in class.

Breathe easy.

Blessings

Jorge Nihāl