Spanda

Spanda is an attribute of the spirit and translates to pulsation. In truth all matter is vibrating, or pulsing even things that appear relatively stable and solid.  Each cell in our bodies pulsates as does spirit.

We acknowledge how our spirit pulsates with a divine luster in the Anusara invocation, but how could it sparkle if it didn't dim just a little.  Spanda translates in our movements as a drawing in so that we can expand out in a dance of compressing in towards the source and then expanding outward in all directions delighting in the freedom of doing so.

Spiritually we will have times when we sit at the oasis in good company and drink from the deep well. Other times it feels like we are crossing the desert in isolation. The trick is to know that when we are traveling through the desert, it is on our way to another oasis where the water will be sweet and refreshing and the fruits of experience will be deeply nourishing.

There is nothing wrong in feeling a little diminished every now and then, because we build up a thirst for self discovery. One of my favorite teachers, Douglas Brooks describes it as the divine's game of peek-a-boo. We forget so that we can delight in the revelation of discovery. The uncomfortable realization  that we are not realizing our potential, is powerful catalyst for growth. Come join the good company of fellow travelers at the oasis that a regular yoga practice creates.
Namaste,
Michelle Campbell
River City Yoga