The Poetry of Yoga

Blossoming
by Janet Arnold-Grych from The Poetry of Yoga Volume 2, page 41

In the beginning,With each unraveling of the mat,
We are anxious to add to our garden,
To gather the beautiful buds,
And coax each asana to open quickly.
Feet in the dirt we stand,
Sometimes for the first time,
Connecting earth to muscle and muscle to sky,
The energy of an immense lineage
Pulsing with promise.
But as the poses settle,
As we settle,
We find that yoga’s true gift is not about more
But less.
The outline of the poses remain the same.
Yet when the space between is fed,
When ease replaces expectation,
When patience replaces petals,
We find that the asanas are no longer
About holding on,
But letting go.
And in that release,
Without judgment or force to impede,
Breath floods in,
Releasing the mind and freeing the heart.
Through yoga,
We find
That core of serene nothingness,
And learn that in letting go,
We gain everything.