It is (finally) February Yogis!! It is FREEZING out there but we hope to help you stay nice and warm (body, mind, and HEART) this February with our theme of Loving Kindness. It is not unusual to focus on LOVE this month, but Loving Kindness is different from the cupid-driven stuff of Valentine’s Day. It is not romantic or specific to any individual or relationship – but rather it encompasses ALL relationships. Sharon Salzberg (an NYC based meditation teacher and author whom we LOVE – pun intended 😉 describes Loving Kindness as “A profound recognition that our lives have something to do with one another. That everyone counts, everyone matters.” (If there were a meditation practice most aligned with what we believe at HYS, that might be it!)
While this concept is both expansive and profound, practicing Loving Kindness as a meditation is surprisingly simple (we have found that it is often one of the most easeful meditation practices for many new students) In the practice, we begin with ourselves and expand to others; those we know and love, those we barely know or have never met, and those with whom our relationships are difficult – sending a simple and consistent wish for peace and happiness. Through this simple practice, we begin to feel and embody, the interconnectedness of all beings. May all beings be happy, May all beings be Peaceful, May all beings be Free from Suffering
We hope you will join us in cultivating this energy and sending this message to yourself and others this month.