Om Namah Shivaya

     OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

"I bow to the goodness within who is the true teacher."

     In cultures around the world, the sun is celebrated as the illuminator of life for without it, nothing would be born. The ancient yogi's taught that each of us represents a piece of the greater whole of the universe. The outward greater sun is analogous to that which illuminates us from within, our spiritual center, the seat of intuitive wisdom, the heart.
     It may seem counterintuitive that the heart be the seat of wisdom as we typically look inside our heads for wisdom and guidance. But just as the moon reflects the illumination of the sun without creating any of its own, so too is the relationship between brain and heart. But the brain has a limited view of the world. It takes in all that the heart has to offer but reality is then filtered by perception, desire, ego and expectation. That is why what we feel intuitively is not always in line with our actions. We feel with our hearts yet act with our heads. How do we tap into and live from that intuitive wisdom? Listen, trust, and act with love.
     As an asana practice, Surya Namaskar (sun salutation) is an outward celebration of all that is within you; your divine goodness, your lessons learned, your generous heart, your capacity to love and your ability to stand firmly in your truth. All of this together is your light that illuminates from within you. Take a few minutes to do several rounds of sun salutations. There is no firm recipe...make it yours. Make it as creative and juicy as you want it to be. The key is to connect breath to mind and mind to body through movement to find the joy and love deep down within you and let it SHINE.