Heart Opening

This morning I led a heart opening yoga class, with the idea of Valentines Day
in mind.

Beginning with a natural breath and then focusing a more elongated breath
towards the heart chakra, I suggested thinking of five ways
love surrounds you.  Also, thinking of how you love yourself too, we
brought a warm green color and yum(my) sound inward.

We worked from low lunges, llizard, sides stretches, high lunges into Warrior 1.
Interlacing hands behind the back, we folded into humble warrior, back to Warrior 1, parvakonasana and supported visisthasana.

Finding the pinnacle of trust and love into visisthasana and wild thing, we slowed down
with supported shoulder stands and C-stretches.

It was a comfortable flow.
Difficult for the few beginners, but challenging enough for the experienced students.

Mentally, I sit here now thinking about how our ego is often what gets in the way of love.
We make love much more complicated than it needs to be.
We don't have a difficult time loving unconditionally to a newborn, but once our ego places
expectations on what love should or should not be--we start to close our heart.
Our love.

Recently I read somewhere (and since I can't recall exactly, I'll paraphrase) --that forgiveness doesn't necessarily mean acceptance and forgiving doesn't mean forgetting, but creating healthy boundaries.  And to fully love, either ourselves or someone else, we need to forgive,
love and let go of what no longer serves us.
Love is what serves us.
Blissfully so.

Love blissfully!
Om.