Sandboxes and Clouds

So I'm trying REALLY hard to not get caught up in the beauty of this place and leave you all high and dry with no information on my whereabouts, insights and experiences. But, trust me on this one, it's tough. Maui makes it easy to get sucked in to a sloooooow pace. One where nothing reeeally matters except soaking up some sun and taking deep breaths all the way down to your toes so you can drink some of the prana she has to offer. She gives it freely to you, you just have to be willing to accept the tasty-ness of her with grace, and after you have taken your drink, offer gratitude for allowing her to quench your thirst.

Never have I been more full.

This weekend, I have had the great pleasure of beginning the Anusara Immersion that is happening... well, 15 minutes from my house in a beautiful home with a yoga studio inside that faces the ocean. Today, we were practicing and the teacher, Skeeter, decided it was more important to watch the whale that was dancing on the waters right in front of us. We agreed. That, along with the rainbow that greeted us right before practice, along with the depth of knowledge our teachers contain, along with the welcoming kula has made my heart so warm and soft. I STILL find myself asking if this place is even real. And Why am I so lucky to have gotten all of these majestic opportunities? Regardless of the answer, I am grateful. Overly grateful. To the point where I feel I should always be seeking a way to repay the gifts I have received.

I do remember a time in my life where this wasn't the case. My afflictions where too heavy and cloudy to allow for space and clarity to flow in. Granted, I am in paradise, but I do think this state of mind is possible for anyone, anywhere to sink into. Its a shift in perspective and perception.

This immersion program is a good reminder of the real practice of yoga for me- it has helped me to shift juuuust enough. We were asked to think about our own definitions of yoga and freedom. To me, freedom is being unbound and unrestricted in our experience of the laws of nature in their purest form. Yoga joins us with this freedom. We are also talking about the lila, the play, of concealment and revelation. Daaaang. Let that sink in..... The PLAY of being cloudy, concealed and getting clear, revealed to the object in question. I'm sure we have all had those moments when the clouds break and we see things a bit more clearly. Then we forget, get cloudy again, then clear. The play. The dance between the opposites. So beautiful. And the best part!: we will continue to do this our whole entire lives. We will all always, everywhere, all the time be playing in the sandbox. Some times we will be deep down under the sand where the heavy clay rests. Other times we will be on top of the highest slide. Most of the time though, we will be somewhere in the middle, on the monkey bars. Where it gets good is where we can see clearly and focus in on what we are playing with at the very moment. Which part of the sandbox are we in, and how interested can we get?

Ahhhhh good stuff. Off to dinner with the fam. ALOHA, my friends!!!