Mount Kailash which is locate in Tibet is a mountain considered so sacred that it is forbidden to climb it. In the hindu religion it is considered the abode of Śiva and Parvati, his consort. People from all over the world make a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash just to circumambulate the base of the mountain which is quite an endeavor. Even though making such journeys are great and usually have a religious significance for the person doing it, we don't have to go to such an extend in our efforts to connect with the sacred. The yoga masters say that you can connect to the sacred on an everyday basis right where you are. Connecting to the sacred for most people has a religious connotation and can be hard to relate to for many. The yoga masters explain that connection to the sacred in essence means to connect to a place within each one of us where only you and whatever you hold highest can enter. 

Saṃtulana is a sanskrit word that means balance, equipoise, and equilibrium. These words are usually defined as an equal distribution of weight/effort or two opposite forces being equal as to maintain steadiness.  In our yoga practice the balance that we want to experience requires a more nuance. When we practice there are many things to take in to account. In terms of the physicality of the practice  there are so many body parts to work with. Even though they all create a pose some parts are more involved than others depending on what form is created. Then there is the breath in which we want to even out the length of the inhalation and exhalation easefully. At a much subtler level there is the mind which we want to befriend so it stays with us while we practice rather than going 'grocery shopping' somewhere else.

I just came back from the New York City Pride Parade. It is always an amazing and fun experience to be part of it. The last two years or so I was able to be on a float so I got to really appreciate the crowd. This year I was not so I got to enjoy all the different floats and the people in them. I am always happily surprised of the diversity that is celebrated in my community at this time. It is not perfect but there is a place for everything and everyone. We don't always see eye to eye but for the most part every one seems to at least tolerate others. 

Saṃtoṣa is a Sanskrit word that comes from the prefix "Saṃ" which means completely, entirely; then there is "toṣa" that comes from the root "tus" which means  contentment,  satisfaction, and acceptance. This word is usually translated as contentment, a kind of contentment that envelops your being completely.  

I don't know you but I have been enjoying the sun and its warmth very much lately. I have been also thinking about the beach and can't wait to be by the ocean. I have been also reminiscing about when I used to live in Laguna Beach, California. As I was looking for a photograph for this email I came across the picture above which is from Laguna Beach. I remember walking by that tower so many times. There is a small cove just  behind that tower where I used to go sit for as the tide was low. There is something healing about being in the sun and by the ocean. This is the time of the year to really enjoy that.

And just like that ... June has begun. It is starting to feel more and more like spring. I was walking after going to the movies this past week and was able to catch a glimpse of the sun setting over the New Jersey skyline. I was seeing the sunlight shimmering through the buildings in Manhattan. I had never seen sunlight so golden before. Everything was bathed in this golden light making it feel like I was in a golden city. There was a balmy feeling in the air and a light soft breeze that seemed to invite me to pause and take in the whole experience which I did for some time. Then I sat by the Hudson River for a couple of hours.