Share the Love

Share the Love

I’ve found myself lately thinking of and contemplating the faults of a select couple of people I encounter on a semi-regular basis. I’ve been looking through the lens that makes the problem theirs–NOT MINE! By doing this I’ve placed myself in a superior position. Yet, in my heart, I know we’re all bozos on this bus of life.

I’m in Arizona at the moment on family business, but I still made time to make it to yoga this morning. Right outside the yoga room at Bikram Yoga Paradise Valley, they have a bulletin board with the theme of the month: Share the Love. A small selection of quotes lines the board infusing it with the intended spirit of love.

“A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” As my eyes alighted upon these words I felt the dawn of an understanding erupt. When I speak negatively about others I diminish their candle, their light. Gandhi once said “As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world–that is the myth of the atomic age–as in being able to remake ourselves.”

Gandhi has a point. While I sweated out tumultuous toxins in the yoga room I wondered and thought about this need to be critical. I don’t like that feeling, yet I also became cognizant that I didn’t want to criticize myself for being human.

As beads of sweat dripped unceasingly into my eyes, after cascading over my eyelashes I realized the need to forgive myself and to love myself and others. Loving others doesn’t mean being a doormat. It just means having all actions come from love.

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” I think a lot about love. What love means. What self-love is. When I’m in the hot room self-love is quite simply feeling immense gratitude for this life, for this presence in that hot room. I love the feeling when I’m there and when I leave.

Yoga is so much, so much more a pose, so much more than even breath. It gives me a passion for self-realization that I didn’t have before. It gives me the strength to look at myself and see where I can and am willing to work at changing. Being loving takes strength, takes vulnerability, takes courage. And makes the world a better and brighter place.

So this Valentine’s Day, share the love, and start by sharing it with yourself!

Much love to all of you!