Found Exhortation


My friend Dan just posted an insightful piece about the sweetly humbling (without diminishing) perspective on the single life or the whole collective human being in the context of the whole universe. It resonated with the passage I had read for group practice last Wednesday from Ramesh Menon’s rendering of the Shiva Puranas, which talks about all the units of time from a nimesha, a human moment, to the life of the highest Siva principle–an immensity of infinite time that is incomprehensible at a human consciousness level.
It’s unseasonably hot, we desperately need rain in my location, the air quality is poor, the air conditioning broke yesterday, the madness is on so many fronts it is easy to feel overwhelmed, but still, I pause to notice a heart-shaped cloud. And then write another email. And make another donation. And do a few calming poses.
Including the potential manifestations of our abstract thinking.
Remembering 9/11 and thinking about how we might act going forward to foster peace. That requires, I think, facing and responding and balancing some hard truths about ourselves.
Yes, I am speaking about myself, not just society at large.
We have a choice. We can emphasize what we don’t think enhances life (for example, an over-sized, gas-guzzling, suburban SUV with city plates) or we can focus on an exquisite reflection of beauty. That we see what optimally would better be changed or shifted to be more fully aligned with nature or that we speak of it does not mean that we are not seeing beauty or embracing the whole of life with love.
Part of my daily practice is to take a walk. Despite the unseasonable cold and the overly scheduled, high stress day I was having, I made sure I still went for a walk. Once outside, I experienced beauty to lighten my heart and to bring freshness to the rest of the day’s work. That’s the purpose sadhana.