February 14, 2014

“Our task is not to seek love, but rather to seek and find the barriers inside ourselves we have built up against it.” ~ Rumi

Moments that put us in our Heart can be difficult to describe, as they are so often personal and intimate. Perhaps they are not truly meant to be shared and yet there is something universal in them that draws us together in a community of understanding.

At Shri Yoga, we define the Heart as the sacred essence of the human being. Our asana practice is in service of our Heart. We seek to remove the limitations and barriers to our contact with this part of ourselves through mindful yoga practices that peel away the layers of our being and reveal our essence more clearly to us. When we are truly connected to our Heart, we can experience the sacred essence within ourselves and in the world around us.

Recently I spent a few weeks taking care of my parents as my mother recovered from a stroke. My mother, newly released from the hospital, was sleeping a lot to help with her recovery. While this rest was necessary, she needed to be frequently checked on as lying down was not ideal, post-stroke. One afternoon, as my mother was napping, I went to check on her and immediately registered the details of the scene. She was snoring quite loudly, her mouth was open and drooling was slowly making its way down her chin. Her skin was wrinkled and sagging with age and the relaxation of sleep. Nothing about this moment was pretty and yet I was washed over by the beauty of the moment. I realized that it was my deep love for her that allowed me to see her beauty in that moment. That moment put me right in my Heart.

We all have these moments when our Heart is revealed to us and we more clearly see the beauty in our lives. This Valentine’s Day may you connect with your Heart and see all the beauty around you through your loving eyes.