Gratitude Day 7 - Grateful for Yoga

Oh hell yeah, I'm grateful for yoga. And not just for the great things it does for the body, mind and spirit. One of the biggest things I love about yoga is the sense of community that it builds. 

I've had the privilege to teach yoga for over 10 years now, seven at Pure Prana in Old Town Alexandria. And over the years I've gotten to know a lot of people. Like minded people. People that believe in the power of yoga and how little things can make a huge difference. How just one person doing their part counts and counts big. And this happens everywhere yoga is practiced. Whether it's in your home, at a studio, at a gym, at a church or in a conference room. People are doing things that are raising the collective consciousness. 

I would say 75% of my friends on Facebook are people I know through the yoga community. Some of them I have never even met in person. During the election season, none of these people ever made hateful remarks or posts. Some of them voiced their opinions but without anger and judgement. I can't say that about other friends on Facebook. 

Tuesday night in my class we all needed to release tension from the election. So I decided we were going to practice loving kindness and compassion while we did our asana, opening our heart centers and then releasing all that love and compassion into the world. 

While we were grounding and centering we practiced extended exhale breathing which creates equanimity or level headedness, tranquility and calm. While we were moving we practiced drawing in compassion from the universe to ourselves and then releasing back out. And at the end before we laid down to rest, we asked ourselves who is an adversary that needs loving kindness and compassion, a person, a group, a nation, the world, a system, whatever. And then we did a big old heart opening backbend to send that compassion out. And I asked everyone there to send loving kindness and compassion to our next president so that he can be guided by love to make the decisions that are best for us all.

And while it was just us, 19 like minded folks plus me, doing this, you can bet your ass it did something. I could feel it. This little community of 19 people Tuesday night made a difference. Every little bit counts and every little bit makes a difference.

Now what if EVERYONE in the whole world sent out a little compassion? Can you imagine? Isn't that what people like Jesus, Mohammad, Buddha, Mother Theresa, the Dali Lama all have suggested? Hmmmm....

My best friend at Goddess Powered wrote about the same thing. I loved where she wrote, "How's that hatred working for ya? What good things have come about because of your anger and frustration?". So, so true. 

I am so, so grateful for the yoga community. And with this I send loving kindness and compassion out to everyone. Not just people I like but people who I may not care for personally, people who are lost, governments, systems, adversaries. Everyone.