Devotion - Part Two
In the last blog entry, I posed the following question:
Practically, though, how do I reflect the love, respect, and faith I have in the divine onto myself and my relationship with my loved ones? How have I made THAT a practice also?
As practicing āsana physically connected me with the more subtle practices of yoga, showing myself physical love has connected me with the more subtle elements of myself. I enjoy gentle, nurturing self-touch (placing my hands on my cheeks, squeezing my biceps with my hands, placing a hand on my heart) - especially in moments of nervous system overload! Massage, acupuncture, intuitive dance, warm baths, and Abhyanga (daily Ayurvedic oil self-massage) are also other great ways to drop into yourself. The same applies for my interpersonal relationships - we all need loving touch, and we often don’t realize we or our loved ones need it until we have felt deprived of it for way too long. Our nervous systems co-regulate, so a conscious hug, loving cuddle, or even just a sweet touch of your hand on someone’s shoulder or back can be enough to encourage a deep, calming breath and cultivate connection.
Mindfulness - especially taking a mindful pause and breathing before reacting to my own thoughts or the words and actions of others has been key in improving my relationships. It does not take much pause - most of the time just a few deep breaths will completely shift my perspective. Some situations require a much deeper pause, for sure, AND it all starts with those first few breaths.. They’re the hardest to take, and also the most impactful. Practicing reacting to my elevated heart rate with a deep breath, in a variety of situations, has created space in my life for growth.
For me, words of love are another important aspect of devotion. In my spiritual practice, I express my words of love by chanting mantra, singing devotional songs, studying the mystical language of Sanskrit, and writing. These practices carry over into my relationship with myself - listening to music and singing help me to fully experience my emotions and life experiences. Dream journaling deepens my connection with my subconscious. In my relationships with others, verbally expressing love is a simple and beautiful way to deepen the connection. It doesn’t take much - a conscious “I love you” with a pause and eye connection can completely shift the energy between me and my partner. A little unexpected love note or loving text in the middle of a busy day plants these tiny seeds of connection that then can blossom into something deeper when you have space for a more lengthy connection. The same holds true for friendship - when did you last tell a friend how much you love them?
My faith inspires my actions and seeing love grow from those actions inspires my faith - faith that there is a divine light guiding me and lifting me up, that it is inherently loving, and that we are all part of that light - we are It, and It is us. Love for the divine MUST translate to love for everything in this manifested reality. The love I give to every person I meet is love that I am giving to that light that moves through me and them - the same light that we all came from and that we all return to. It is the same light that created and illuminates the stars and the planets, the sun and the moon, and the light in our hearts.
I love y’all.
AND!!! THIS THURSDAY 4.6 at 6:30 PM - come celebrate the Full Moon in Hasta with movement, mantra, journaling, and an offering to the sacred fire at our little yoga shala in Oak Forest.
