Some of you will remember one of my talks from last Oct about the Cosmos in my garden. Cosmos are one of my favorite flowers, and I had an entire row of them that Andy and I planted from seed. We watered, feed and took care of them all summer long (along with the other plants of course) and I waited in anticipation of the beautiful flowers. Waited… and waited. No flowers! No buds! Just strong, fern-like stalks. The week before Halloween, I finally had 2 or 3 flowers that I brought into the studio to share.

The lesson last Oct was about Practice. The Journey. The Purpose to practice. Not the end result. The poses are there as a guide to observe. For you, as a student, to get reacquainted to yourself. To see yourself through the practice. To recognize your reactions, your hesitations, your procrastinations. To feel all the emotions- immense joy, empowerment, strength, vulnerability, sadness. To sit with whatever is there. And, to participate fully in the practice but not be defined by the results.

Today I picked these 5 lovely flowers and am excited to see we may have many more blooms this summer. And as I think back to last season, I remember it is easier to let go of what IS when things are in your favor. Easier to pick beautiful flowers than be perplexed by the absence of them. Easier to practice the poses that are accessible in your body than those that are seemingly impossible or confusing.

But, that’s the practice, the journey, the growth.

Over time, you will witness that the practice changes you. Your observational skills will continue to sharpen, you will not only learn your tendencies, but will recognize them as they arise. You will accept more freely- all the good, the bad, all the in-between. You will be less tied to your reactions- and maybe you’ll laugh a little when they bubble up before you let it go. You will recognize the difficult situations as they are- and even on tough days you can have moments of contentment. It doesn’t mean that life gets easier or simpler. Or, that you are perfect (oh hell no!). But there is beauty and sweetness in understanding and acceptance in the ebb and flow of life.

The lesson? Keep practicing. Be a forever student. And the next time you rock that hard pose- or fall out of it- know that you’ve gained something just by practicing.