In Sanskrit prāṇa means vital energy or life-force. Prāṇa is connected to the breath hence we experience it every time we breathe. In yoga philosophy it is said that prāṇa can affect the mind as well as the body through the breath. This is one of the reasons why paying attention to the breath throughout our yoga practice is so important. For instance shallow breathing can make us feel tired faster, or breathing too deeply for a long time can make us feel dizzy.

I have been noticing that daffodils are in full bloom all over the city. I hope you are all enjoying whatever display of color nature is creating wherever you are. It is always a much welcomed change after the somber colors of winter. It is a reminder to rejuvenate ourselves in every way and in any form we can. It is an invitation to reclaim and enjoy freshness and newness in ourselves and in our surroundings.

In the non dualistic philosophy that I study we are asked to let go of labeling what we consider a good flow and a bad flow of things. Instead we are asked to look into why it is flowing the way it is, what insights can we take from it and how we are going to act or respond to the current flow of things. 

This weekend I was walking on my street and noticed that the trees on the streets are starting to get new leaves on their branches. For some reason it reminded me of an early spring walk I took during the pandemic. I remember thinking at the time how nature just keeps going regardless of whatever is going on in the world. It was true then and holds true now.

I long time ago I was looking for some form of exercise to practice. Weight lifting or running or other sports did not appeal to me. I decided to try the physical part of yoga since I was already doing other yoga practices. I was very surprised to enjoy it even though it was a very difficult practice. I just did it because it was fun to be in a room with other people working on the different poses. It was like being in a journey together for one hour and a half. I remember at that time I did not have many expectations except being stronger, more flexible, and a few pounds off would be great. I felt very open to possibility as I continued to practice. 

During the week I am constantly moving from one side of the city to another. The area that I cover can go from Chelsea all the way up to the Bronx. In addition to the moving around, there are the physical things that I am working on that are with me all the time. When I take all these into account I realize how easy it is to neglect posture. Yes even for a yoga teacher :)