In Sanskrit the word Haṃsa means Swan. In yoga philosophy Haṃsa is a mantra the represents the sound of the breath. The sound on the inhalation is represented as "Haṃ" and the sound of the exhalation by "sa". This mantra is usually used to meditate by repeating the first syllable with the inhalation and the second one with the exhalation.

A while ago during a retreat a yoga teacher saw a person that was walking very fast and was visibly agitated. She stopped this person and asked him if he was ok. This person was one of the organizers for the retreat this teacher was teaching at. The man then shared that he was late for a meeting and that there were so many things that needed to be done. The teacher acknowledged that yes there were many things that needed to be accomplished that day but that he could still choose to move about with ease.

A while ago I heard a story from Joseph Campbell, a writer that taught extensively about myth and how it relates to the human experience. He said that this particular story taught us about how  in order to know the deepest aspect of who we are we first must come to understand and accept life in life's terms. Life that can be divine, beautiful, and exquisite, at the same time so terrible and horrific, and also everything in between.

In Sanskrit prāṇa means vital energy or life-force. Prāṇa is connected to the breath hence we experience it every time we breathe. In yoga philosophy it is said that prāṇa can affect the mind as well as the body through the breath. This is one of the reasons why paying attention to the breath throughout our yoga practice is so important. For instance shallow breathing can make us feel tired faster, or breathing too deeply for a long time can make us feel dizzy.

I have been noticing that daffodils are in full bloom all over the city. I hope you are all enjoying whatever display of color nature is creating wherever you are. It is always a much welcomed change after the somber colors of winter. It is a reminder to rejuvenate ourselves in every way and in any form we can. It is an invitation to reclaim and enjoy freshness and newness in ourselves and in our surroundings.

In the non dualistic philosophy that I study we are asked to let go of labeling what we consider a good flow and a bad flow of things. Instead we are asked to look into why it is flowing the way it is, what insights can we take from it and how we are going to act or respond to the current flow of things.