I've recently edited my yoga teaching schedule to reflect the current situation of our family. I'm a mama to 3 and 1 is in college. I'm a special education teacher back to the full time teaching gig after mostly blissful 18 years stay at home mom-ing. So lots less space for public yoga classes and lots more space for my own practice which has blossomed and bloomed and nourished me in a time of transition. The pressures of balancing it all and in addition to that, doing it all well (type A yogi confession) have eaten away at my heart. I keep coming back to the meditations that drew me in to the soul of yoga, a practice of meditation and gift of mantra. Desikachar says "It (mantra) is not a Hindu symbol but rather something much more universal: it is something that can bring a person's mind to a higher plane. In our Indian tradition we use Sanskrit words, but your language has sounds too...we can always work within an individual's tradition."
In this moment I am breathing in a healthy does of this mantra, "Every little thing will be all right." It is based on my tradition of Christian faith and rooted in true wisdom from Matthew 6. You don't have to understand all the references to scripture or words like righteous to get this mantra right. The beauty and simplicity and nurture that we see evidenced in nature is proof that we are simply beautiful and cared for and that every.little.thing.is.going.to.be.allright.
"Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."
In this moment I am breathing in a healthy does of this mantra, "Every little thing will be all right." It is based on my tradition of Christian faith and rooted in true wisdom from Matthew 6. You don't have to understand all the references to scripture or words like righteous to get this mantra right. The beauty and simplicity and nurture that we see evidenced in nature is proof that we are simply beautiful and cared for and that every.little.thing.is.going.to.be.allright.
"Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."