The Resilience of the Lotus
“FIRST YOGA LESSON
“Be a lotus in the pond,” she said, “opening slowly, no single energy tugging
against another but peacefully,
all together.”
I couldn’t even touch my toes.
“Feel your quadriceps stretching?” she asked.
Well, something was certainly stretching.
Standing impressively upright, she
raised one leg and placed it against
the other, then lifted her arms and
shook her hands like leaves. “Be a tree,” she said.
I lay on the floor, exhausted.
But to be a lotus in the pond
opening slowly, and very slowly rising–that I could do.”
Hello my friends,
I don't know if poet Mary Oliver ever took another yoga class (there are no poems called Second Yoga Lesson!). I hope that she did. We know that after consistent practice we can converse with our quadriceps and hamstrings and we will eventually find a tree pose that suits our constitution. That doesn't happen after just one class.
Mary seemed intrigued by the idea of the lotus though.
If you practiced with me last week, you may recall that we explored Padma Mudra, the gesture of the lotus. We learned that this mudra is related to the heart and its core quality is unconditional love.
We see the lotus a lot in yoga imagery. The flower thrives in the muddy waters of lakes and ponds and reblooms each morning without blemish. It represents the idea of persistence despite life's challenges.
We can live like the lotus as well - living a resilient life, making a home in the muddy waters of the 21st century. The challenge isn't about how we can stand on one leg, it's about how we respond to the stressors around us. Some days 'in the pond' may be easier than others, but we wake each morning to try again.
Whether or not our poet returned to her mat, her first lesson was an important one - the beauty of the lotus is in its resilience.
Please join me on your mat. Let us open slowly and rise together.
Love & the lotus,
Nina G