Monthly Heartbeat

Anusara Yoga^® invites us to constantly stay open to Grace, so as to deepen our connection to our own hearts, as well as to the world around us. If we stay sensitively aware of the fullness, possibilities, and blessings that surround us, we become able to fill up with a sense of profound gratitude, which leads to a natural desire to serve the world and other beings as a show of our appreciation and intrinsic love.
When we open to Grace and are filled up with Grace, it is natural for Grace to come pouring out.

In Anusara Yoga classes, we're often reminded to remember our connection to our breath and to the various parts of our physical body. With our muscles hugging to bone, our hands firmly clawing the ground, or our shins drawing toward the midline, we strive to connect all parts of the body into a unified and balanced place of integrity. However, it is our First Principle that reminds us of our inextricable connection with something greater than just our individual selves, and begins to bring the spirit of seva alive in our hearts. Seva, or selfless service, is a way to show honor, gratitude and devotion for the Supreme, the Divine and Universal essence that unifies us all. By acting on behalf of others and offering actions that help enhance life, we effectively remember the connection to the Divine Grace at the core of our being.

We start where we are, and do what we can. Helping someone get deeper into a pose can empower them as much as simply praising the beauty of their pose as it is. With small steps can come big changes, both in the community we serve and in our own hearts. Efforts like volunteering at a community level or practicing kindness may seem small, but to make a difference in the life of just one person might create a miraculous shift.

I know this because I consider myself a bit of a miracle. It is precisely because of the action of compassionate, giving people that I am alive to write these words. I've always longed for connection to something greater, but I didn't always know how to go about finding it in a life-enhancing way. Earlier in my life, I made a lot of bad choices and ended up using drugs as a way to find the meaningful connection I longed for. Unfortunately, any sort of substantive spiritual connection eluded me and what was once experimental became a habit. Eventually, I gave up hope that I could ever change and my life became a sad and sometimes dangerous existence. Thankfully, I ended up in a detox program where people who were once as hopeless as I was shared with me how they had changed their lives. They spoke about joy and faith and experiencing a spiritual awakening. They seemed genuinely happy, and it had been a long time since I'd felt like that. I opened my heart to the grace of recovery, supported every step of the way by people who gave unselfishly of their time as they held the space for me, listened and shared their wisdom. I felt a deep well of gratitude springing up inside of me for this chance at a new way of life. But – how could I repay them? They taught me a simple paradox: I had to give freely and selflessly the blessings I'd been given in order to honor and maintain this precious gift. By serving others, I became established in the connection to profound Grace.

Grace is a gift that you don't ask for, you can't buy, and you can't give back. By offering my experience, strength, and hope to someone else struggling with addiction, I am able to serve the Divine in another person. The more I share with others, the more joy and freedom I am blessed with. When I found Anusara Yoga in 2003, I was delighted to discover that it’s emphasis on cultivating, celebrating, and honoring community aligned perfectly with my path of recovery. My gratitude for my new life is strongly apparent when I share from my heart about where I was then and where I am now. And maybe, just maybe, I can connect with one other heart and watch their true essence unfold in the light of Grace.