An Alison Miller Blog

The Heart of Sun Salutations

Did you know that the sun salutation series is designed to awaken the power of the heart. The ancient yogis believe that, in the heart, lives a higher seat of wisdom than the mind. While we are accustomed to making decisions (which defined in Latin means “to cut off, to fall dead”) by using the mind, which slices and picks apart our life, we can create great tension and potential confusion as to what the best choices are for feeling fulfillment in life. Where the mind can leave us racked with indecision, the heart is steady and accounts for the whole of our life situations rather than just a section of it. Imagine being in a situation where you are blindfolded. Now imagine hearing the sound of rushing water. Without the sense of sight you are left to determine the origin of the water rushing. Is it a leaky faucet, a bathtub overflowing, a water hose in the backyard, a rainstorm? If you are familiar with the area, perhaps you will be able to determine the origin of the sound. However, you are left blind to the full reality of the situation; because, you cannot confirm with your sight, a sense we typically reply upon for confirmation. When we use the mind alone to determine the course of our lives we, in a sense, are walking blind. More to come about activating the heart!!!

Aloha friends,
It has been months since the kiss of these keystrokes traveled to the world of blogging. Ahhh…. this technological world - a blessing and a curse simultaneously. The previous months have been filled with growth, travel, trials, tribulations, and great joy. In a nutshell, falling in love with the wisdom of insecurity has been the pillar this modern yogi has been leaning on to navigate our changing times. I’ve been focusing on the economy of self and letting the roots of being exist in the unmanifested. I understand there is a power in living from the Self rather than the self, delineated from the capital to small S. The Self to which I am referring is the aspect of the soul/spirit that incarnates into our human form and can, if given the chance, weave this life with magic. However, this is very unsettling for the rigidity and tenuous relationship the mind has with the world and the way it wants things. For example, in the month of March, I traveled to Cabo San Lucas to teach yoga to a vacation group. On my trip home, the airline, on which I was booked, went bankrupt. I was stranded! For days on end other airlines allowed passengers to attempt to fly standby to return back to Hawaii. The airline reservationist asked me if I would like to be stranded in California or Arizona. Inherent in her question, I could see that it was not offering any solution that my mind would like. So, I let go of my mind, took some deep breaths, and chose California. Upon arriving in California, I found out one of my good friends, a traveling musician, would be in town, for one night only, playing a concert in a town not too far from the airport. Hah, said the Self! It is the Universe who will guide you. Do not rely on airlines. Rely on your spirit and the Universe to guide you to the right place and time. The next day (after attending the concert) I found a “reasonably” priced flight back to Hawaii. So, plans change…often. When we can let go and trust, the Universe is always out for our greater good. Magic can happen.