What is Sacred?

‎"Freeing the body leads inevitably to freeing the heart" Gabriel Roth

Asana, the physical movement of yoga, has served as my gateway to a deeper and richer life. In fact, of all the practices I've done it's been the one that has offered me the most healing, and the greatest opportunity to open to life as it is. To me the body is inherently sacred and choosing to consciously create with it through the breath and intention is a holy act.

The body and the mind are not obstacles to a deeper connection to the divine or spirit. Breath is spirit and all we have to do to connect is breathe. The body is infused with consciousness and Spirit is woven into the very fabric of every cell of our being and its sacred pulse flows through us.

Practicing asana is a fun, engaging, and worshipful experience of co-creation with spirit. In a culture that is so far removed and disconnected from the body, asana seems like a perfect laboratory to, as Donna Farhi says, "ground spirituality in the body". The body is the gateway to a rich a mysterious union with all that is. Through breath and intention we create a fertile foundation that can grow transformation in the deepest layers of consciousness in all levels of our being. Asana makes us lighter and freer, and at the same time, grounded and connected to the source of all life.

Donna says in her book "Yoga Mind Body and Spirit" that this "down to earth, flesh and bones practice is simply one of the most direct and expedient ways to meet yourself" and that "the goal of asana practice is to learn to live in your body and to perceive things clearly through it."

Through practice we heighten our sensitivities, our awareness, and our connection to the source of life itself. We learn to trust, open, surrender, and embrace our inherent strength and resilience. In a world that has aimed to desensitize us, pollute our our bodies, numb our senses, and dumb us down, I can't think of a better practice to help us in waking up and participating in life in a radical, open-hearted way.

Any practice that can open us up to the sweet richness of life in the now and in deep connection to the spirit within is a powerful practice. You can trust and know deep in your heart that as you open you are opened to all that is.

Love,

Michael