Wandering Yogi - Part 1

The day began for yogi in a shroud of mist in the cloud forest. High above the valley floor, he had climbed up to the rocky perch of the abandoned temple to sit. In the silence of the misty morning, he could sense with his ears the chatter of exotic birds talking to one another to convey the day’s greeting. He could sense with his nose the smell of fragrant pines and ferns, and even beyond, the sweet array of flowers. But with his heart, he began to listen inside to another rhythm. To still his restless mind, he found the most comfortable recess at the center of the temple and closed his eyes. Legs crossed in a careful lotus, he began to plug back into the energy of flow through stiff joints and weary mind. He took a deep breath and went back to his heart connection to inform the direction of the path he was about to walk.

For many years now, yogi had relied on his mind for all the answers, so much so that he began to distrust his heart. But he was listening now, perhaps for the first real time. And on the surface, his heart said to him “I am tired.” Yogi asked “Of what?” To which the heart replied, “I am tired of pretending.” Yogi reflected for a while as the clouds began to lift and morning sun touched his closed eyes. “What are you pretending?”, he asked his heart. And the heart replied, “I am tired of pretending to care about the things that don’t matter and I’m sad that I don’t get to celebrate more the things that matter most. Sometimes I want to reach out and shout my love to make change but you keep me a prisoner with your mind.”

At this, a tear began to roll down yogi’s face. For the truth, Satya, had been released and was shining forth as the sun shone on him now. From that day forth, Yogi told his heart that he would do better to connect with his heart’s purpose. He would soften his thoughts and make space for his heart to speak up when something it yearned for was arising. Like a garden, he would tend to his heart and water it when it needed. And when its fruit was ready to harvest, he would pick it to send into the world instead of squandering its precious gift. He descended from the temple with his heart glowing with renewed purpose.