A Conclusion but not the End

Join me tonight,
Tuesday 7/21, 6-7:30pm
for a Free Yoga Class
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/284954703

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Dear Friends,

Today’s practice concludes our Bhakti Yoga for Peace series that we began on June 2nd.  These practices introduced you to Bhakti Yoga and were in honor of George Floyd.  The tragic death of George Floyd and all the protests and upheaval that happened in its wake, combined with the impact of COVID, has turned our worlds upside down. Many of us have felt very unsettled.  It was my hope that in exploring Bhakti Yoga, a form of devotional yoga, I could introduce you to some tools to bring peace into your lives and our world.  As part of our devotion, we have chanted the Lokah Samastah Suknino Bhavantu chant 108 times at the end of each class and will chant one last time together tonight for a total of 864 times! Just think of all the good vibrations we will have sent out!! I truly believe we are doing our best to support all beings towards becoming happy and free!

We have explored several different themes of devotion in the last few weeks. In week two we discussed ‘letting it go’, allowing space in your life and your thoughts.  As well as giving ‘it’ up to the Divine. We created a ‘God Box’ that we have been adding to for the last 8 weeks.  I had said I’d burn that box along with all our prayers and stuff we ‘let go of’.  I’m going to take it camping with me next week and burn it in the high mountain air of the Northern Cascades. 

The following weeks we explored the practices of gratitude and later Sri, seeing beauty in all things.  Did you have a chance to try these practices out? Did they make a difference at all in your life?  I have found when I cultivate gratitude and beauty in my life my heart is lighter and my mind is clearer.
We also explored the ideas of Shraddha, faith and Krama, Divine sequence.  I think, in a lot of ways these go together. It’s helpful the have faith (Shraddha) when you also know there is a Divine unfolding (Krama) that is happening. 

Finally, last week we explored grace. Grace is that delicious, serendipitous, thing that can happen when you stop pushing and controlling. When you are able to yield, letting it all go, have shraddha, trust in krama, be grateful, and see the beauty in all…then….sometimes….magic happens.  Remember, magic often happens in the spaces. So, we return again, towards allowing ourselves space and in turn allowing others space.

I give our practice space tonight. Come tonight with your own space and together we will create just the right practice for tonight, our last night of this series. After tonight, I’m going to give myself some space.  After much thought, I’m going to take the month of August off.  This will give me a little extra time to rest, in the space of summer sunshine and a flowering garden and in that space, I’ll see what grace shows for our next adventure in the fall.

I’m looking forward to seeing you all tonight!

In gratitude!

Andrea Carvalho