“Arjuna, I am the taste of pure water and the radiance of the sun and moon. I am the sacred word and the sound heard in air, and the courage of human beings. I am the sweet fragrance in the earth and the radiance of fire; I am the life in every creature and the striving of the spiritual aspirant.”
from The Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7, Verse 8
Yoga guides us on a journey of connection: of the mind to the body, of the teacher to the student, and of our finite physical self to our boundless inner self. For those practicing as a group, it is the connection of souls recognizing each other, growing together, and sending their heart-light outward.
When we practice yoga, we enhance our mindfulness and create a focused but gentle attention, helping us exist more fully with the natural world. We learn to celebrate the air that becomes our breath, the earth below our feet that literally grounds us, and the sun and rain that create the food that nourishes us.
Around the summer solstice, we’re reminded of the importance of honoring our connection to the natural world. By marking the transition of the seasons with intention, we place ourselves as part of the infinite and beautiful world in which we live, whether it’s on a mountaintop farm or in an urban oasis.
“Summer solstice, the longest day of the year, what a day to celebrate the light of the sun as it reaches its zenith in the northern hemisphere,” says Joe Taft, an AYC instructor. “It is a time to enjoy the ease of life and nature’s abundance. The ancients would celebrate the potency of this celestial event by gathering flowering medicinal plants as they too reached their zenith. These blossoms store the light of the sun and cast their seeds forth as our past intentions are now in their fullest expression. Let us take this time to salute the sun, the harvest of our own inner blossoms and the amazing blossoming of nature’s expression.”
Feeling disconnected? Sign up for class today and experience how Asheville Yoga Center creates community and helps each student chart their own path.
