Asana, Pranayama, and Yoga Practice | Community and Family | Food for the Body | Gardening | Meditation
Found Exhortation
Last week, when my friend Suzanne and I were walking out of the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park to catch the bus back downtown, we came across an island of dahlias in the middle of the parking lot. We were filled with excitement and joy at the outrageous effulgence. In the past, I’ve never had any particular feelings one way or the other about dahlias, though I knew that gardeners can get completely obsessed with them. This exuberant showing gave me a flash of insight as to why dahlias can inflame passion and dedication. It was a sweet reminder always to be open to new wonder, even from things we have previously experienced and thought we knew.
My friend Olga has written a series of blog posts reflecting on the Certified Teachers’ Gathering and what it means to her to to be a part of the Anusara community. I found most interesting the reflections on how Anusara is growing as a community, even as an “institution.”
One of the things that I ponder in connection with being a member of any group is how deeply to be involved, whether I can pick and choose from among the teachings and practices offered and still be regarded as a true participant? Whether I can be uncomfortable with some of the organizational structure, but still be true to the ultimate goal or teachings? What does it mean at the workplace — for me the giant bureaucracy of the Department of Labor? What does it mean if we are a member of an organized religion (I’m a member of the Friends Meeting of Washington)? A group of like-minded practitioners? A neighborhood? A society?
