Funny, this time of year. I love the influx of new students, people who have decided that now is the time to institute a yoga practice into their lives. Continuing students both grumble about and welcome the crowded rooms, both to share their love of the practice joyfully and share floor and wall space begrudgingly.
For my part I work to determine how best to introduce this transformative practice to new people while at the same time keeping it enriching to more seasoned practitioners. And yet it puts me in mind of who I am considering my champion of 2017: Vishnu, the Preserver. 
Vishnu is the preserver and protector of the world, and his consort is the exquisite Lakshmi, she of beauty and abundance. He is, in the acronym of G-O-D, the Operator of the universe.
My culture of origin is not overly concerned with the preservation or the operation or the maintenance of things. And yet, a yoga practice is, among its many facets, a mundane thing. Once the initial explosion of attraction and discovery has passed (and that can take a number of years, mind you), the practice becomes much less sexy and much more… regular. It has its beauty, no doubt. But the concept of sadhana (studentship) has to do with consistent showing up over long periods of time. And many of the most profound aspects unfold slowly and can only be experienced as the practitioner develops the strength and diligence that long-term practice brings. In this way I am totally a neophyte. I have been practicing for almost twenty years, and yet I have only begun to catch the barest scent of some of these things. I am still what I would consider a meh meditator (meh-ditator) and I have been doing it consistently – if not enthusiastically – for almost eight years now.
But this unsexy concept of the maintenance and preservation of the world, of the universe, has such a sense of softness and welcome to me at this time. I want for myself and for my students and clients and friends and family to feel a sense of welcome and connection to the world and beings around them. I am somewhat weary of the explosive energy of beginnings and implosive energy of endings. I am excited to step into the flow for a while and be part of that. It has the discomfort of pause in it, the space between the inhale and the exhale, the silence before the statement has been made, the waiting time, the during. It is LIFE.
Life is the space between the beginning and the end, made of many of those cycles, but really mostly space. As we are, mostly space. As the entire universe is, from what we can tell, mostly space. I invite you to open to the space and offer yourself to it, veering away from the addiction to big beginnings and showy endings. Let us relax into and celebrate the in-between.
For those whose interest is piqued by this concept, feel free to add some Vishnu into your life through the use of mantra, meditation, and murti. And may we all find peace in our now, exactly as it is.
