For When We are Lonely

There is Asmita

I love watching the difference between people at the beginning of a yoga class versus at the end.  People walk in with their day close at hand: sometimes worn-out, sometimes talked-out, sometimes stressed-out.  Even if they walk in chatting with a friend, there is a bit of disconnect because they are each stepping out of their separate days.  Yoga calls this feeling of separation, asmita.  

I like the image of a old wagon wheel.  We each enter yoga class on our own spoke, on the outside of the wheel.  We are all part of this one thing, but we are separate from each other.  As class goes on, we slowly make our way to the center.  And there, we find there is little space between us.  As we have become centered, we have also found the collective center.  We are not alone.

In real life, we sometimes feel alone.  

We all spend some days on the outside rim, feeling the lonely space.  Asmita.  But this feeling of separation is an illusion.  We are all part of the same big wheel.   Find something that centers you:  prayer, meditation, yoga, hiking…  Work your way closer to the center and find that lonely space dissolving.         

As the space between us dissolves, we can see that each of our spokes are delightfully different.  Old spokes, young spokes, practical brown spokes and neon pink spokes.  Make your way closer.  Do you see?  There is more alike than different.  Each and every one of us have dents, bruises, shiny spots.  We all have moments where our spoke is thin and brittle.  But it doesn’t matter, because we are not required to rely on our own singular strength.  You are not keeping it together. We are all keeping us together.      

You are not alone.

Until next time,

Laura