You are the Path, The Path is You by Lexie Wolf

“Your purpose here is to evolve, to transform,

to experience your radical aliveness, to awaken to your true nature.

You are the path. The path is you. The time is now.”

– Sattva Yoga Teacher Training Manual, title page.

It is 6am and the monkeys are, as usual, creating drama. Workers are trying to shoo them away.

Monkeys are public enemy number one. We were warned on the first day that if we left our balcony doors open they would sack our room. A friend who has been here helpfully advised us to bring snacks, and the last thing I want is for the cute little devils to steal the precious bags of almonds and energy bars, instant coffee, and crackers that I’ve been carting around in my suitcase for the last week or so.

We are watching morning Puja today from our balcony. At sunrise and sundown some gather in front of the Ganesha altar for a daily ritual of gratitude and blessing. There is incense, ringing bells, fire, mantra. An appreciation of the miracle of each new day. The clear river flowing down from the Himalayas rushes sweetly by. There is no denying Grace.

By 7 a hush falls over the campus because everyone is in meditation. We can meditate on our own on the grounds or convene in Shakti hall for community and guidance. This morning, the monkeys are still on my mind.

At the close of morning meditation we honor the directions. East for life: “Everything is life.” North for teachers, guides and wisdom. “Wisdom within and without.” South for growth and abundance: “There is no lack.” West for surrender: “All comes, all goes.”  Then we turn back to the East, for light, for luminosity, honoring the rising sun. Feeling the ground under your feet. Ready for the day.

We’re told that daily meditation practice is the one non-negotiable for a yoga teacher - or really anyone on a spiritual path. Agreed. Mind management is a baseline practice for effectiveness in daily life and maintenance of mental health. Shoo away thoughts that aren’t serving us. Be the calm in the storm. Focus on the here and now. Beyond daily life, spiritual progress blossoms from the slowly unfurling bud of an uncluttered mind. From that place of inner stillness, elevated states of consciousness become available.

The wise & compassionate Teacher here at Sattva, Anand Mehrotra, says: “Master your mind, master your energy, master your life.” So by 8:30 we are in Bramanda hall for the 90-minute Morning Journey with Anandji. Learning to master our energy. Young Jedis.

Through alchemical combinations of powerful Kriyas (breath, mantra, movement), meditation, asana, wisdom, and love, Anandji guides us masterfully into shifts in energy and consciousness. Experiences may include but are not limited to: healing, detoxifying, powerful emotions, releasing old patterns of thought and behavior, transcendence, deep love, bliss. These practices are powerful.

I have most certainly not learned to master my energy. I am a roller coaster, a game of pinball this first week. I’m experiencing shifts, peaks, and valleys. I’m trying to learn to land more softly. To move through cleanse, ground, and integrate. I’m working very hard. Bill, who is excellent at managing his mind and his energy, suggests I work less and try surrender. It’s good advice.

Anyway - this is just what happens here before breakfast.