Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year and we had a special extended practice with Shannon Kluever this year.  Here are some poems and other inspiration from that event.  

One day the sun admitted,

I am just a shadow.

I wish I could show you

the infinite incandescence

that has cast my brilliant image!

I wish I could show you when you are lonely

or in darkness

the astonishing light

of your own being!

~Hafiz

Even after all this time

the sun never says

to the earth

you owe me.

Look what happens

with a love like that...

It lights up the whole world.

~ Rumi

In the middle of winter

I at last discovered

within me

an invincible Summer!

~Camus

The rising sun blesses my mind with joy...

The setting sun blesses my mind with peace.

~ Sri Chinmoy

The Greatest Mistake Is Being Afraid To Make One

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one.” -Elbert Hubbard

Trying new things in life can be difficult.  But the rewards you can reap far outweigh the uncertainty associated with risk. As adults, it sometimes becomes more difficult to brave uncharted territory. We form routines and become confident about them.  Success or failure should not be the end result; the trying is the journey. Making mistakes allows us to grow and learn about ourselves and can also help us to understand a better path, an easier approach, and even the way a pose should feel and look.