I am starting this post on June 21st, the day of Summer Solstice. Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, the day when the sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky. It is a day to celebrate Sūrya, the Sun – its radiant light, its life-giving energy, its nourishing warmth, its awesome power. It is also a day to reflect upon and honour our inner Light – our own radiance, energy, warmth, and power – the spark that lights us up from within. In yogic advaita philosophy, the outer Light and the inner Light are one and the same. On Summer Solstice, we salute this divine Light.
Summer Solstice is the first official day of summer. And yet, I cannot help thinking that this day also contains within it the beginning of winter. As of now, the days grow incrementally shorter, culminating in the shortest day of the year on December 21st, Winter Solstice. It seems to me a startling idea: that as we celebrate the onset of summer, winter is also coming to be. It makes me think about little changes – how they build up over time – how there’s a delay before we see the effect of these changes. The days are shortening as of now, but we won’t see cooler weather till fall and winter.
So it is with our life. Little changes, if we stick to them, add up over time. We will not see the results right away, but months later, we will step back and notice the difference. Let this encourage us to keep up with our yoga practice. Even a little bit every day will add up over time, leading us into a different ‘season’ ahead. Let’s be consistent. Let’s have faith in the practice. Our efforts will bear fruit in time.
At the same time, I also see a warning here: If we habitually compromise ourselves, even in little ways, this will add up too. It will be imperceptible at first, but eventually it will hit us. Let’s choose our habits consciously, intentionally, wisely. Let’s create habits, even small ones, that uplift us. And let’s dismantle those habits that wear us down.
Homework: Identify one habit or practice that you will develop over the coming months and one habit that you will let go of. Write it down. You may find it helpful to keep a record of your efforts in a simple journal or calendar. You may find it helpful to submit your homework to me – I’ll read it happily! Putting your ideas into words and sharing them can help the ideas to materialize; thoughts become words, which then become actions. In turn, one’s actions create one’s character, and one’s character creates one’s destiny. This is the wisdom of the Vedas, and also of Mother Nature: seed, to blossom, to fruit.
Here are the habits I will be working on:
1/ I have always closed my classes with the chanting of OM three times. I occassionaly chant OM at the beginning of class, but I would like to do this more consistently. Every little OM makes a difference! Three more at the beginning of each class will add up for all of us.
2/ I would like to stop staying up at the computer past 11pm. Late evenings are usually when I get my computer work done, but very late evenings staring at the screen and typing deplete my energy; I can feel this the next day. So, no more! Plus, I know that you can see the time of my posts (it appears in the e-mail just below the title), so you will be helping to keep me accountable! Much gratitude to you, dear readers.
Coming back to the topic of Summer: Yoga classes at the Meredith Centre and the Cascades Club have now concluded and will resume in the Fall. I will continue to teach at Vraie Nature Yoga throughout the Summer months. You can find my updated teaching schedule here.
To the Light that shines upon us, and the Light that shines within us! They are one and the same. The sunshine in the sky is the same as the sparkle in your eye. Let it shine. May we let go of the clouds – the thoughts, the habits – that obstruct our light, and watch as our world brightens up…