The summer season starts on June 20th but I feel the summer is in full swing already. I love the hot and sticky New York summers and I also like the cold and snowy winters and everything in between. Life like the seasons is varied and yet there is something constant. There is a beautiful verse that I came across from a book I am reading, the Parātrīśikā Vivaraṇa.

Once upon a time there was a man that had performed intense practices as worship to the sun god, Surya. Surya being extremely pleased with this man appeared to him and told him to ask him for a boon. The man asked for the exceedingly bright gem that Surya wore around his neck which Surya gave him ... with a warning. He said that wearing the gem would produce for him eight wagon loads of pure gold every day but he must bathe and purify himself through ritual and practices before he put the gem on everyday. Surya said that whoever wore the gem while in an impure and dishonorable state would be destroyed.

In all of the prayers that are chanted in yoga there is always a recognition of the Divine first. A recognition of what is considered highest. The asking part comes after. This is a very good thing to remember specially when praying for abundance because without that first recognition things don't end up well.

Once upon a time I was on a yoga philosophy course in Santa Clara, CA in which at some point there was a healthy argument between two people in the class. One of them was criticizing people in countries where blatant bribery was a common way of doing business and that these people should conduct their business in a different way. The other who had worked extensively abroad said that it was very easy to make that call for someone who lives in the United States where blatant bribery (at least at the time) was not practiced. This person pointed out that in this countries it would be extremely difficult if not impossible to conduct business in a different way.

Happy Spring to everyone!

As I was looking for a picture for this email I was drawn to flowers which reminded me of this quote "Florals? for spring?, ground breaking (rolling eyes)" by Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in "The Devil wears Prada". Not ground breaking but aren't they gorgeous? :)

A long time ago I was teaching a private class to someone in California. During this particular session we were working on expanding the chest area. After a few poses the person I was teaching mentioned how vulnerable he felt opening the chest. I think this is a feeling that many of us can relate to. Nowadays since we spend a lot more time in front of a screen the tendency is to experience a closed chest area so opening it may feel difficult or like some kind of a threat.