The Greatest Yoga Teacher on Earth

Unconscious breathing is just an organic process to sustain biological life. Likewise, disembodied awareness is just empty space. But put breath and awareness together, and a miracle happens. Healing wisdom is born. Now you have conscious breath, which is filled with divine creative energy. Ancident traditions honor that energy with terms such as prana, chi, ruach elohim, or holy spirit.

Awareness touching Breath is the kiss of Christ and Mary Magdalene, the embrace of Shiva and Shakti. As this living Breath bathes sensation in the body, Christ is born. Christ is the offspring of Breathe and Awareness as a fully embodied human being. That holy child is you.

The science of Yoga is simply this love affair between Breath and Awareness in a human body. Let your own sacred body teach you Yoga. Let your flesh teach you to breathe: for your own breath is the supreme Yoga asana.

Forget technique. Forget correct Yoga posture. Just luxuriate in the movement of this incomparable breath, the miracle that can't be resisted, because it is happening now.

Let your inhalation open the smallest segment of your spine. Let your exhalation send currents of light into your joints and muscles. What we're talking about here has no fancy Sanskrit name: it is simply a good old-fashioned stretch.

With attention in the body-of-breath, experience every micro-movement of your stretch. You can practice this stretch in the quiet of the morning even when you are still lying in bed. Or you can do it standing. You can certainly use it as a break in your business day or study.

Reach your arms over your head. Stretch one leg at a time, pointing the toes of each foot. Breathe in again and stretch your torso, your spine. Keep stretching as you breathe, but don't hold a position. Keep some subtle movement happening in the body, like a great tree gently swaying. With each breath, lengthen a segment of your spine, gently opening a little more space between the vertebrae. Do this even in your neck, by drawing the chin slowly down toward your chest.

Observe your body from the tip of your toes to the crown of your head: use the stretch to open up and breathe through tense stuck places. Let the Breath itself do the opening, ever so gently. Your Breath is the mover, your awareness is the giver of life. Let Breath massage and open up the body's space, let Awareness pour healing energy into that space. Awaken all the numb stuck places.

One slow luxurious stretch, enjoyed without comparing yourself to any other body, could be the best Yoga class you ever attend, guided by the best Yoga teacher on earth.