The Gift of Grace

Did you ever have a friend that you knew would accept you no matter what? You know, the one who would always listen, always be there without judging regardless of the mistakes you made? When you get together with them, it is like there was no time since your last visit? Nothing needs to be explained, nothing needs to be apologized for...That's how it is with grace, too. Always available, never pushy.

One of my teachers defined "grace" as "divine, unmerited benediction". Nothing you need to do to earn it, no magic gate to pass through to make you worthy. You are everything you need to be, right now...nothing you need to strive for.

How can you find grace on the mat? Try allowing a pose to make its way toward you. Instead of reaching toward perfection, settle in to wherever you are, even back off a little to a place of ease and comfort. Release the judgment of not being in the "perfect" pose. Nothing to apologize for. Imagine your practice as having a cup of tea with an old friend, your body, your breath. Can you accept your practice "no matter what"? With Grace...Divine Unmerited Benediction. Sometimes grace comes like a gentle breeze washing over you reminding you who you are, what you are meant to do in this world, that sudden overwhelming feeling of "everything is going to be OK." When the whole body sighs and relaxes subtly but powerfully.

And then off the mat...where is grace? Where can you allow for a little "less", a little more gentleness. Can you rest into some situation that you have been struggling with. Release some artificial standard that no one is really going to care about in a year from now? Can you give yourself a long awaited break from some pinnacle of achievement that you use to torment yourself. Can you, right now, just as you are be "enough"? In every sense, emotionally, physically, mentally. Bumps and bruises and bulges and the whole catastrophic mess of it all. When you relax into being "enough" all sorts of things can happen. All that energy spent on futile efforts is now free to create something amazing!! Something beyond your wildest dreams! Something sooooo perfectly you!!!

Play with this and let me know how it works out...

See you on the mat...