a path of yoga: ...and here I am now, no where near my original coordinates. -- unknown

The seeds of change… recently I spoke with students about change as many of us are finding ourselves frustrated, fearful, if not petrified and frozen and depressed and let down about the lack of peace on our planet especially for our brothers and sisters of the Ukraine. Seems, the governments at large are still cleaning up their messes from previous hostile crises and we have a new one.

Yoga plants seeds of change every time you hit the mat. Every time you practice you are re-installing patterns and memories in your brain that are going to become enduring parts of you. If you are someone who has been practicing yoga and meditation for some time, then you have been training your

mind and body to connect with that yogic mindset that you have been cultivating. Every time you come to the mat, you are dropping a new seed to the soil and watering and cultivating previous plantings.

One thing I was reminded of lately from a talk by Dr. David Reilly, is that seeds NEED a period of darkness to germinate. It’s the time required between sowing and germinating. You may have heard that there have been seeds that were found through archeological digs that had been frozen in permafrost for 10000 years. Scientists have been able to sprout some of those seeds in spite of being buried in ice and darkness for so long. Our minds are like that. And, our practice is like that-- providing a space in which the seeds already planted can now come forth and be fruitful. Our practice can warm the seed that has already been sown.

What seeds have you been planting? Do you relate to the seeds as if its a bumper sticker-- just a cool statement? Or, is there an intentionality that connects you to what you value and where you find meaning in life? As you install your PEACE rainbow flag, do you slow down and connect to the meaning of peace and shanti?

We do all this because we care. But remember the wise words of the late Thich Nhat Hahn who teaches still that if we get too anxious and worry all the time about the state of the world, we will make ourselves sick. We will make ourselves physically sick. We need to take care of ourselves, to water those seeds we planted on our yoga mats, that are about love and care and peace for ourselves. It is here where the work begins. Here is when the changes begin.

Another, awesome thing that happens is that true change- true transformation arises out of chaos. We learn and grow via stressful circumstances. This is how we are hard wired. Taking it to the mat, ask yourself: “What do I need to learn from this right now?” and then the follow-up question-- “What can I do next that would feed my soul and brighten my heart?” And when you catch a mindful glimpse of yourself whirling, attach a meaningful, loving label to it of POSSIBILITY.

So, remember that your seeds of change may not germinate right away or even this season-- and that some need to sit in the nurturing space of darkness in order to be viable later. Trust in this process. Trust in yourself. Allow the seeds you have already sown a period of time to germinate. They are there. Notice the moment when one DOES germinate that you may have forgotten about or that had been scattered around willy nilly.

And, another thought to be provoked by is to loosen the soil around the plant so weed seeds are discouraged from growing. So, this speaks to which wolf do you feed? If every time you turn on the news you get a flash of panic, fear, anger and sadness that terrifies and overwhelms you then reduce the number of times you check in with the news. Take a break for a day-- a few days-- a week--- a month from the news. Perhaps, humanity is at the gateway in evolutionary adaptation, where we learn from the love in spite of the hate.