The inherent beauty of the moment

Last Sunday snow flurries were coating the earth with soft white snow. The temperature dropped, the roads were icy and the trees shimmered against a penetrating azure sky. Now one week later the temperature touched 74 degrees, the snow has melted and gardens are being planted.

Change is constant: in subtle ways and in ways that are too obvious to miss. But the commonality is the inherent beauty of each moment, of each event, of each person, of each experience. In Tantric philosophy this beauty is called shri. It is a life- affirming energy that pulses inside of us. It connects us with everything.

We forget things. We forget our keys, we forget our shri. We will always lose sight of shri and then reconnect. We need the change, we need to be reminded of the opposite of shri to appreciate what we already know. So we experience what appear to be opposites, but the opposites complete and compliment each other.

When we connect with the rhythms of nature, the journey seems easy. When we become too rigid and lose our connection, the journey becomes difficult and painful. Sometimes we are filled with the beauty of the moment, totally immersed in shri. Other times we need to step back and find a different perspective when times are tough. Shri is always there. It is our awareness and perspective that shifts.

That is why we turn to our breath in yoga. The breath reminds us of our connection with shri. The breath is at peace. The breath connects us with a higher power, a divine energy that is breathing us. We only need to join in the dance with our awareness.