Happy Friday Yogis

I write this while sitting in the sun on a remarkably warm Spring day in April.  I can’t remember it ever being this warm here this time of year, but I’m definitely not complaining.

Todays topic is Kharma Bella Yoga  – The Yoga of Beautiful Authentic Energy.

I named Kharma Bella Yoga after my dog, Kharma Bella.  And  we named her for her beautiful energy and spirit.

Well, Kharma Bella passed away last night.  She has been a such a bright light in our family for 15 years, and her passing has left me deeply saddened. She has always been the inspiration for my yoga practice, and so I thought I would share  with you my thoughts on  the ways in which our doggie friends remind us how to live our yoga beyond the mat.

Dogs – the living manifestation of yoga.

• They are both inscrutable and forthright.  Inscrutable because we never quite know what they are thinking. Are they meditating? Are they relaxing into the moment?  I kinda think so.
• Forthright because they always share their unbridled passion for living with us.  Forthright because they always show exactly what they are feeling; fear, anger, sadness, but mostly joy, a deep and unbounded joy in being alive and in relationship with us.
• Honesty, we always know when they are hungry – they eat and drink with such gusto.
• We know when they are tired; they find the right spot circle around a few times to make it theirs and then they lie down and sleep deeply.  When the time is right they wake up and stretch – up dog, down dog and a great big shake.
• They take care of their space and their bodies, bringing what they need to their favorite spot and settling in for a good bath.
• They really know the definition of friendship.  They greet us with love – always. They listen to us as we ramble on, and we have no idea if they understand a thing we say, but still they listen. They rest their heads in our laps when we are sad, and they happily go for long walks with us, following our lead with complete trust.
• They will also stand their ground when necessary.  They can be stubborn, fierce, and sometimes even downright obnoxious in their desire to pursue their own ends. But they know what they want and are honest about it.
• They can be playful and mischievous, making us laugh at their antics and shake our heads in bewilderment as we find them in some ridiculous  position.

My list goes on and on.  But the main thing that stands out for me now and always, is that if we allow ourselves to truly abide in the present as much as our dear sweet doggies do, we will find that we naturally are living our yoga.  We will listen to the needs of our bodies, and eat, bath, sleep and exercise when we need to.  We will spend time every day meditating and communing with nature.We will take care of our homes and our communities.  We will allow ourselves to be so open to our feelings and those of others that we become the best of friends – to the people that matter most in our lives and to ourselves.

So in memory of our beautiful Kharma Bella, I encourage you to step more fully into your authentic self.  Eat, play and love with the fullness of your being and you will Live Your Yoga Beyond The Mat.

Shalom & Namaste,
Diana Bonyhadi