Union

This weekend I did something wonderful; I attended the wedding of a longtime friend.

It was the first wedding I had been to in a decade.

Weddings, like so many other things in life, seem to happen in seasons.

In my twenties and early thirties, I was at weddings all the time.

But then that stopped, and baptisms and baby showers were more the thing. 

Lately, none of that has been happening, and I almost forgot how wonderful and how important the ritual celebrations surrounding these life events can be.

Watching my friend and her beautiful bride publicly commit not only to their love but to their union this weekend brought me to tears, as it did practically everyone in attendance.

Some of you may already know that the word “yoga” literally means “union.”

And it comes from the same root as the word “yoke,” as in to bind together as one.

Yoga is a bringing together of all the different parts of ourselves: our minds, our bodies, our spirits, our hearts.

And just like any strong marriage, it makes room for all parts of ourselves, even the ones we may not care for too much.

These parts will change and grow and evolve over time. And just like with marriage or any other relationship, they will have their ups and downs.

But the great news is, there is room for all of it.

Every single bit.

This weekend reminded me that we always have the opportunity to commit to ourselves.

And yoga is just one of the many containers through which we can do this.

We can commit to loving ourselves unconditionally; to remaining steadfast with ourselves in both sickness and health and everything in between.

We can commit to laughing and crying, dancing and celebrating.

We can commit to bearing witness to life’s huge events, as well as the small ones that happen every day.

Most of all, we can commit to love in all its forms. And the union that love brings not just into our own lives, but to the lives of everyone around us.

Thank you for reminding me of this, Aimee and Emma.

Thank you for letting me dance and cry and celebrate and bear witness.

Here’s to your union, now and always.

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Want to practice yoga with me from anywhere in the world?

Sign up for the 21-Day Calm Your Mind Challenge! Get a short basic yoga sequence emailed to your inbox daily with links to video instruction with yours truly. It is guaranteed to help you feel calmer in mind and body. And if it does not, I will happily offer a full refund, no questions asked. Sign up here.

Hear what one recent student of the challenge had to say:

“What I discovered was a really comprehensive plan, chock full of tools to help get there. There was a daily yoga sequence that was so gentle anyone could do it, which I truly learned to appreciate. As a teacher, Lauren’s cues throughout were on point for me. She has an overarching peacefulness about her that just feels very honest and genuine. The program is aptly called a “challenge” because there is (at least for me) a real challenge in showing up for yourself consistently for 21 days, even for 20 minutes a day. Today I’m not only calmer, but also feeling stronger and more in-tune with myself. Great experience, totally worth it.”–Phuong S.

Questions about the Challenge?

Shoot me an email at: Lauren@21DayCalmYourMindChallenge.com