Grief is a Mirror

Bird Wings

Your grief for what you’ve lost lifts a mirror
up to where you are bravely working.

Expecting the worst, you look, and instead,
here’s the joyful face you’ve been wanting to see.

Your hand opens and closes, and opens and closes.
If it were always a fist or always stretched open,
you would be paralyzed.

Your deepest presence is in every small contraction and expansion,
the two as beautifully balanced 
and coordinated 
as birds' wings.

-Rumi, 13th Century Persian Poet

 

Grief knocked me sideways several days ago, after the sudden and unexpected death of a friend.  This poem gives me comfort and I share it because in challenging times, and these are challenging times for all of us,  it can feel like everything is falling apart.

Rumi reminds me that it is in these very moments of grief that we begin to understand who we are. The loss can shake our foundation, crack the casing of our ego, which makes our understanding of the world and our place in it more fluid and open to interpretation.

Through pain and sorrow we begin to understand what it takes for us to feel at peace, to feel complete, to feel like we can once again walk the earth with a sense of connection to it, instead of skepticism and distance.

It gives me great comfort to be reminded that the natural flow of life IS expansion and contraction, opening and closing, ups and downs, coasting and flapping—that is what it takes to fly. I invite this rhythm into my practices of yoga and meditation, and feel restored and a little bit lighter.

WHAT'S NEW

Thursday, 6–6:45 pm (begins May 7)
SATYA
Leslie
(see Events page for more)

FREE Sundays 5:30–6:30 pm
Yoga Conversations in May
Sharon
(see Events page for more)


WHAT'S FREE
FREE recorded level 1 hatha with Sharon, available through Friday. Password to access recording: 1L#.0z8%
We will upload another free recording on Monday.

For other free events, see our full Events Listings below

HOW CAN WE HELP?
Small business owner? Independent contractor?
Still waiting for unemployment to kick in?
We know; we're also running into obstacles regarding Federal financial loan/assistance programs but we've got you and encourage you to utilize these options to tap into your yoga practice for much needed de-stressing: 

Karma Fund for free classes if you need, for as long as the funds hold out. Get in touch.

Community Kindness pass lets you drop into any livestream class for only $10.