our first meeting

Yesterday morning, I walked to JJ Bean, my favorite place to have tea before work, and found my favorite seat right by the window. I love being able to watch people as they carry about their day, and because this coffee shop is on commercial drive there is never a lack of interesting people to observe. So I got my cranberry muffin and a london fog, and sat down in my favorite chair while ready to watch the crowd making its way to work. As I prepare to bring out my book, a man sits down in the chair across from me. We sat in silence for a short while, the stranger allowing me to take his presence. I am not afraid, I am comfortable in the silence that this stranger brings. As I look at this stranger, I realise that I have seen him before, on Wednesday in fact. Two days ago.

The stranger recognises the realisation in my eyes, and begins, "I am Rumi"
"I know, I have been waiting for you"

I looked at this stranger, as he began to speak and I could feel my soul rejoicing at finding this man. I have known him well, in a previous life perhaps? The details are unimportant. My heart began to ache as Rumi spoke, it was as if the words had a stream line straight to my heart. We often took breaks in silence and then Rumi would repeat himself as I held onto my heart strings, just trying to experience the impact of his words. The more I listened, the more I learned and more I fell in love with my new friend. Is it possible to fall in love with someone after one meeting? I felt a little silly sitting in my cafe with my half eaten muffin, unabashedly consumed by this mysterious person, this person I know and don't know at the same time, this Rumi.

"I need to think about this, I am overwhelmed" I say
"Let love lead your soul. Make it a place to retire to, a kind of cave, a retreat for the deep core of being", Rumi.
I sigh and look out the window, welcoming the strangers walking by, into my experience of that moment. I am not sure what to say. Following my eyes to the street, Rumi replys, "We watch a sunlight dust dance, and we try to be that lively, but no one knows what music those particles hear. Each of us has a secret companion musician to dance to. Unique rhythmic play, a motion in the street we alone know and hear."
"I must go to work now" I say, my words sounding rough and entangled compared to the ones I spent the last hour recieving.
"I want to be where your bare foot walks, because maybe before you step, you'll look at the ground. I want that blessing."

Our eyes meet. I grab my things and am gone.

om namah shivaya

This Kind of thing - a spontanious handstand - isn't something a cool blue soul can do, but a human being can do it. We have hands; we can stand on them if we want to. That's our privilege. Thats the joy of a mortal body. And that is why God needs us. Because God loves to feel things through our hands. - Eat, Pray, Love

When was the last time you allowed God to experience something through you? When was the last time you opened your heart to grace and just even realised that your so lucky? I am just imagining what it would be like for God to experience the joy that I feel when I dance or sing or do yoga. Yesterday I was in my yoga class and I got to melt into each asana. In fact 'opening your heart to grace' is the first principle of anusara yoga. How amazing is that? If you started your day opening your heart to grace, how different would that day be? The same things would happen, I am not sure many physical representations would change, but energy in your heart would change every experience into a beautiful one. In yoga there is a priniciple called, sukha, ease, that is what your suposed to feel in each posture. No matter what your flexibility or strength, if you can feel ease or grace in your posture the whole thing will change! I really am ready to do yoga every day after yesterday. :)

I was talking to a coworker yesterday who had gone to yoga for the first time yesteday. He described how he felt as the after sex glow, but without the sex! What a description! I am sure if other people saw it that way than our sex centred culture would all be doing yoga! Ha! I love it!

Recently people have been talking to me about yoga for people of different religions, like jews or christians. I infact read an article about the topic, which gave me very strong unyoga like feelings. :) Yoga is non-religious, many instructors come at it from a spiritual perspective, which I really enjoy but there is no religion preached in a yoga classroom. I have met Catholic, Buddhist, Hindu, yogis and they all practice the same thing right beside eachother. I think that to change the yoga practice, to suit different religions, takes something out of the practice and trys to insert religion into it. At the end of class we say namaste, "thank you for sharing your energy with me and allowing me to share mine with you", this energy depending on the person could be the holy spirit, the shakti what ever you want it to be. The word namaste, doesnt pack any religious punch, it is just a greeting. Infact, yoga is one of the best things to compliment your faith, it helps you focus your mind so you can meditate or pray, it gives you energy for your work, you name it I will tell you how it supports your faith. :)

Anyways, I hope that your day is great and you can have the chance to melt into your practice.