By Gurudevi Nirmalananda

I’m ready to rip off my mask and dance around the room in glee.  Fully vaccinated, no mask required and I can even sit and chat with people again – I’m ready to go.  But I’m seeing others move into it more slowly.  What’s going on?

Is your inner peace dependent on being isolated?  Is your world smaller than it was a year ago?  And what about the personal space you need – is sitting beside someone on a bench simply too close for you? 

The pandemic isn’t over, I agree.  At the Ashram, we continue to offer blessings five times daily to everyone worldwide.  But your personal safety is better than it’s been in over a year.  That’s something to celebrate!

But you’ve probably been celebrating special events all alone or online with others.  You have other options now.  Something wonderful happens when we get together in-person.  This is especially true in a yoga class.  Why?  Because yoga has you working on the outside and the inside at the same time.  As you move and breathe, your body changes – an outer change.  And your inner state changes – which is the more important benefit.  This is Svaroopa^® yoga’s specialty.

When you do this with others, the synchronicity amplifies both benefits, outer and inner.  When your teacher moves you through the process and you get to laugh with others (or complain) after class, your heart is engaged in a whole new way.  It’s not yoga until you put your heart into it, says the sage Patanjali in sutra 1.14.

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been enjoying sweet reunions in the meditation programs I lead.  And I’ve been meeting new people, some who say they’ve been waiting for the chance to come.  I’m sure your teacher and fellow yogis will enjoy reconnecting with you too, or getting to know you from scratch. 

What do you want your life to include now that the world is opening up again?  I hope you’ll do more yoga.