Inside there are flowers

I've been reading The Secret Garden with my daughter. I chose The Secret Garden as our first novel to read together because of my daughter's innate connection with flowers.

Even before she could walk and talk, my little one was drawn to flowers. Now at the tender age of four, she knows the name of every flower she has ever held in her sweet, little hands. Roses, however, above all others, are her favorite.

A few days ago in our wonderful secret garden story, Mary Lennox— the story's sad, contrite, lonely little girl—found the key to the secret garden. Tonight, she found the door, and behind the door, hundreds and hudreds of what appeared to be dead roses.

"Will they come back alive," said my daughter. "Yes," I said. "You'll see, they'll come back more beautiful than ever."And, indeed they do, if you recall the story. But, they don't come back without a lot of hard work in the garden on Mary's part. And, oh how Mary changes as she begins to work that garden!

Much like the story of little Mary Lennox and the secret garden, our job as yogis is to find the key to our own, inner secret garden. Once we start to hang out in that space and do some work, what once may have seemed hidden and dark begins to come alive with color and light.

Kabir says . . .

Don't go outside your house to see flowers.
My friend, don't bother with that excursion.
Inside your body there are flowers.
One flower had a thousand petals.
That will do for a place to sit.
Sitting there you will have a glimpse of beauty
inside the body and out of it,
before gardens and after gardens.

What do the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and an artichoke have in common?

Each year for the last few years, I've selected one of the sacred, yogic texts to spend the year with. Last year it was The Bhagavad Gita. There's no real process for how I make my selection—whatever keeps coming up intuitively is what I choose.

This year my heart is calling me to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. I've never read it, mostly because it seems like a big task. But, I've found that by allowing myself a full year in study and contemplation with one text, there is ample time to read slowly, reflect, circle back and re-read until the teachings begin to come alive.

And, come alive they do! Yet, rarely does the magic in the words reveal itself quickly or upon first reading.

It’s a process much like eating an artichoke: You slowly peel off one leaf at a time, eating the delicious skin of its underside, each leaf getting meatier and tastier until you reach the heart, where all is revealed.

The fourth cut is the deepest

You know the old saying, "The first cut is the deepest?" Well, I don't think that saying applies to the reading of The Bhagavad Gita, at least not for me. The last few weeks I have spent a few minutes each night in communion with this beloved, sacred Yogic text (translation by Juan Mascaro). While I've read it a few times before, this fourth time around felt like reading it for the first time - the words sliced clean and clear deep into my heart.

Here are a few of the passages that really stood out for me this time around. I invite you to pick up The Gita and read or re-read it and see how and what it unfolds to you.

Arise like a fire that burns all before it. (2.3)

When the heart has found quietness, wisdom has also found peace. (2.65)

When the sage of silence, the Muni, closes the doors of his soul, and resting his inner gaze between the eyebrows, keeps peaceful and even the ebbing and flowing of breath; and with life and mind and reason in harmony, and with desire and fear and wrath gone, keeps silent his soul before final freedom, he in truth has attained final freedom. (5.27-28)

Yoga is a harmony, not for him who eats too much, or him who eats too little; not for him who sleeps too little, or for him who sleeps too much. (6.16)

When the mind of the Yogi is in harmony and finds rest in the Spirit within, all restless desires gone, then he is in Yukta, one with God. The his soul is a lamp whose light is steady, for it burns in a shelter where no winds come. (6. 18-19)

Let the seaker quietly lead the mind into Spirit, and let all his thoughts be silent. (6.25)

And the greatest of all Yogis is he who with all his soul has faith, and he who with all his soul loves me. (6.47)

The Spirit is the Kingdom of Light. (8.4)

Consider my sacred mystery: I am the source of all beings, I support them all, but I rest not in them. (9.5)

He who offers me with devotion only a leaf, or a flower, or a fruit, or even a little water, this I accept from that yearning soul, because with a pure heart it was offered with love. (9.26)

Know that whatever is beautiful and good, whatever has glory and power is only a portion of my own Radiance ... know that with one single fraction of my Being I pervade and support the Universe, and know that I AM. (10.41-42)

If the light of a thousand suns suddenly arose in the sky, that splendour might be compared to the radiance of the Supreme Spirit. (11.12)

The body, Arjuna, is called the field ... know that I am the Knower in all the fields of my creation ... those with the eye of inner vision see the distinction between the field and the knower of the field, and see the liberation of Spirit from matter, they go into the Supreme. (13.1,2, 34)

Hast thou heard these words, Arjuna, in the silent communion of the soul? Has the darkness of thy desolution been dispelled  by thine inner Light? (Krishna, 18.72). By thy grace I remember my Light, and now gone is my delusion. My doubts are not more, my faith is firm; and now I can say 'Thy will be done.' (Arjuna, 18.73)

An old-fashioned love story

"In your love, my salvation lies." Alexi Murdoch, lyrics from Orange Sky

I am beginning to think I don't have much of a head for philosophy, even though I enjoy studying it very much. Finally, after reading The Bhagavad Gita for the fourth time, I see that it's a love story! Yes, an old-fashioned love story between the Divine and mankind.

Tonight as I did my asana practice, I played Alexi Murdoch's beautiful song, Orange Sky, letting it loop around several times. The above lyrics struck me as so beautiful and deeply connected to the teachings of The Bhavagad Gita: Love for and connection to the Divine is where true happiness resides.

Playlist for fellow Franti fans

I was born botanical, the soul of an animal. Deep beneath the layers, I sink my roots. No need for mechanical, I come strictly organical. When I need to feast, I look to the East.
(Michael Franti, lyrics from Skin on a Drum)

I'm a huge Michael Franti fan. I love his voice and overall vibe to his music, but mainly I love the messages to his songs. Franti, a Jivamukti yogi, always reflects some of the juiciest teachings of Yoga in his music – mainly livin' from a place of light and love. Below is a playlist of Franti tunes that is one of my all time favorite practice playlists. It's short, just 30 minutes – great for days (like today for me!) when a quick practice will have to do.

Skin on a Drum
Nobody Right, Nobody Wrong
One Step Closer to You
Say Hey (I Love You)
I Got Love for You
See You in the Light
Is Love Enough