Spiraling Out of Control

Deciding to be creative, I started sculpting one of the bushes in front of my house into a spiral shape. I had no experience in topiary but I had a vague idea of what needed to be done. At first I was a bit hesitant taking a few snips here and there, not knowing for sure what to do and doubting that I would really complete the transformation of my bush.

Soon I realized I had to fully commit to creating this spiral and be more confident in cutting out the shape. After trimming for a while, I stopped and stepped back to get a better look from a distance at my progress. This would inspire me to go back and work some more.

The more I progressed and kept taking a step back to relax and re-evaluate what to do next, I began to see the bush and notice its inner branches. I began to realize that exposing their shape was an intricate part of the design. The more space I opened up in the bush, the more it began to change and reveal its beauty.

When I finished my project the final picture was not the same as my original idea but it had the feeling of the spiral with a lot of openness and character. When I was able to let go of my preconceived idea, I began to tap into the energy of the bush.

In yoga when we are learning a new pose it is like my experience of shaping the bush. At first we are a bit hesitant, trying to figure out what to do next; maybe not quite sure if we can really do the pose. But once we commit to the pose and experiment with where to be strong and where to be soft, we begin to feel our way into the pose.

Then we pause, come out of the pose and then try again with a new understanding and more confidence. We need that moment to step back and view the feeling of the pose from a different perspective, a place of rest. Learning the pose is a dance between playing with what we know and allowing the pose to reveal itself to our body and our abilities.

Life is the same. We test the waters, commit to action and step into the flow. We need to let go of the idea of being in complete control. The more we can remain open to possibilities and be willing to allow the universe to reveal its lesson to us, the more we will grow and come to understand our own true nature.

Choose to Act

Do you believe you can make a difference? Or do feel overwhelmed and powerless to change something you really care about? We may think that our actions do not matter, but they always matter. Commitment with love to a cause starts with an intention. Then we must take the first step of action.

Julia Butterfly Hill was only 23 years old when she committed to saving a 600-year old redwood tree named Luna. She was trying to stop one of the largest lumber companies in the Pacific Northwest from cutting down Luna. How could a 23-year old woman stop a multi-million dollar corporation from conducting their business?

“I climbed into Luna's branches knowing only that it was horribly wrong to turn beautiful forests into clearcuts and mudslides…. In my 738-day vigil I withstood 90 mph winds during two powerful winters, harassment from a helicopter which nearly tore me out of my perch 180 feet high in the tree, and the tremendous sorrow of witnessing the trees surrounding Luna crash to the ground. These were some of the hardest experiences of my life emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually. Yet I was determined not to let my feet touch the ground until I had done everything in my power to protect Luna and make the world aware of the plight of our ancient forests,” remembers Julia.

She began her journey saving Luna with a thought, a choice, a passion and an action. The outcome was unknown. The process was unknown and its unfolding involved courage and sacrifice but also incredibly beautiful moments that would never have been experienced without that desire to make a difference, to commit to taking action and to believing that somehow this was possible.

This is how we want to approach our yoga practice. Open to grace, to a higher power. Choose to breathe fully. Have the desire to open your heart, and commit to practicing with full attention. Know that the journey is unfolding in unknown ways, but with a positive intention beauty awaits us. Align in harmony with nature. Feel her pulse with your breath. Play with exploring the edges and coming back to center. Be fully involved in the moment.

Action is more important than form. Do not worry about getting into the perfect pose. Just take that first step. Focus on balanced action: hugging into the midline, expanding outward. Find your strong foundation and use that with the breath to explore an openness in your body and mind. Feel the beauty of harmonizing with your inner and outer nature. Take the risk of opening your heart. There always needs to be a softness balanced with the muscular energy. Together they lead the way to freedom.

As Julia eloquently states, “Because no choice happens in a vacuum, every single thought, word, and action changes the world. It is literally impossible to not make a difference. So the question we must ask ourselves is not, “Can I make a difference?” But rather, we must ask ourselves, “What kind of a difference do I want to make?”