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Leela - Playing with Enlightenment - June 2000

Diary date, May 24th:  The sun is shining! I lay my mat out on the deck and saluted the light - the warmth, practicing until my skin had a red/brown glow. I took my paperwork and phone calls outdoors, sipped ice tea and pretended to be on vacation. Played in the garden, until it was time for class. Had to quick, wash the dirt from between my toes and under my nails. The scent of summer is incubating in the flowers and grass, waiting to be born.

Summertime inspires us to play. To be released from the drudgery of Winter's darkness, and the frantic push for renewal that often accompanies Spring. In summer, we remember how to 'hang out' with friends, to sit by the river and be lazy; to undo the knots of our busy lives and remember what it is to day-dream.

In yoga, we call this playfulness, "leela". It's the lighthearted quality that keeps us from taking our practice and ourselves too seriously. When I joke in a beginner's class, students will comment on how surprised they are that laughing is 'allowed', in yoga. One of my favorite yoga teachers used to tease us, "...to not look so darn holy", in our postures. He also liked to remind us to soften the tension in our belly by leaving a little breathing space in our "chocolate pouches".

It has been the teachers who have taught with humor, who have taught me the most about forgiveness and love. Through their wise and well-timed chidings, I have been able to look at my short-comings and those of others, without getting into the vicious cycle of incrimination. It has been an incredible gift to come to my yoga mat with a bemused, compassionate heart, seeking clarity not retribution.

The few "enlightened" masters I've met and all that I have read about, share one shining quality: a childlike delight that radiates unconditional joy. Through the twinkle in their eyes, it becomes possible to glimpse the iridescence of our own human spirit. Their inspiration renews our commitment to scrub away at the build-up of illusion and confusion that dulls our finish, so that we too can reflect love untarnished.

The pursuit of personal or spiritual transformation is certainly not an easy path to walk. How to change is often elusive, even when we recognize change is necessary. It's serious work, but it needn't be burdensome. With "leela", we engage the spirit of the summer child in us that allows for learning and growth as an adventure, not a battle to be won. Infusing our life with people and activities that spark light in our hearts is imperative to the process. Without it, practice becomes dreary and tiresome as the winter rain.

Granted it's the Northwest. We may not feel continuous rays of sunshine until mid-July. However, we can still reverberate with an attitude of play. We can seek joy and spread joy, picnic in the rain, laugh at our idiosyncrasies and bring light into our work so our work can grow like a summer garden.

Namaste,

The Yoga Barn, Inc.
Robin Rothenberg, Certified Yoga Instructor
660 NW Gilman Blvd., Suite C6, Issaquah, WA  98027
Studios located in both Issaquah and Fall City
Phone: 425.427.0038  -  Fax: 425.427.0613
E-mail: info@yogabarn.com  -  Web: www.yogabarn.com

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