Gratitude for the Mat

Hi Everyone,

Please excuse the lengthy message this week but I hope you read it all. I am entering my final few weeks in Irvington and with that comes all types of emotions. Going through a major life upheaval can make us feel groundless and disconnected. I am working very hard to stay present with all the special moments happening right now.  This practice helps us stay connected to all of it… the sadness, joy, pride, fear, excitement and gratitude.

This week I shared a poem that was of great comfort to me about the power of the practice to help us stay grounded no matter what is happening in our worlds. It talks about gratitude for the mat and how it is always there for us.

Gratitude for the Mat

I lay you down to greet the sun,

a firm base for my Tadasana.  

You grab my hands as I bow down,

securing my pose in your grip,

never the first to let go.

As breath stretches limbs,

heavy memories trapped in

cells shed from my skin.

You fold them up in your tight lips,

never to speak of them again.

You are my rock, my roots,

my cradle in Savasana.

You transform from solid to soft,

echoing the process of practice.

Only you witness those sweet divine moments

when tears slip from my face to yours.

A closing OM benediction

soaks into your fibers,

ending our union for now.

I say goodbye with a curl of my fingers

and fasten you up,

hoping to soon meet again.

And so, my loyal friend,

rolled in the corner

like a fresh cut log,

waiting in your quiver to be

unwrapped for worship,

I thank you.