Yoga Practice – Closing Ritual – April 2019

The ritual that closes my practice has evolved, as if it has a life of its own, over recent weeks. It statred with the addition of prakrti and purusa … and then prakrti expanded over a few iterations until it has stabilized (for now) on this:

1. Initiation
   • Inhale opening and raising my palms up in front of me.
   • Exhale covering my eyes (still closed from the sitting practice) with my palms.
   • Stay for a breath or two.
   • Inhale moving my palms away from my eyes back to an open and raised position.
   • Exhale placing my hands on my heart space.
   • Staying here at least for a few breaths … though this is growing and becoming a place I can inhabit for quite some time. It starts by bringing my attention to my own heart, offering softness and inviting healing. If there is something in my body that calls for healing, I spend some time there. After settling in my heart, if I feel called to do so, I open my heart and send it outwards. Sometimes I connect with one specific person. Sometimes I connect with “everyone and everything”. Sometimes I invite connection with people in my life … and I let them flow freely through my consciousness … offering them, as they appear, my heart.
   • Inhale moving my palms away from my heart space back to an open and raised position.
   • Exhale bowing forward my head and bringing my two palms together – cupped forming a space between them – to my forehead.
   • I stay one or two breaths to arrive at this place.
2. Student, Teacher, Teaching
   • I dedicate a breath to the student in me.
   • I dedicate a breath to the teacher.
   • I dedicate a breath to my teacher Ziva.
   • I dedicate a breath to my teacher Paul.
   • I dedicate a breath to Paul’s teacher Desikachar.
   • I dedicate a breath to Desikachar’s teacher (and father) Krishnamacharya.
   • I dedicate a breath to all of their teachers.
   • I dedicate a breath to all their teacher’s teachers.
   • I dedicate a breath to the teachings.
3. Purusa & Prakrti
   • I dedicate a breath to prakrti – that which is eternally changing.
   • I dedicate a breath to my mother.
   • I dedicate a breath to my father.
   • I dedicate a breath to the older of my two sisters.
   • I dedicate a breath to the younger of my two sisters.
   • I dedicate a breath to our ancestors.
   • I deiecate a breath to our ancestor’s ancestors.
   • I dedicare a breath to our relatives – those with whom we share blood.
   • I dedicate a breath to my kindred spirirts – those with whom I share(d) heart time on the planet.
   • I dedicate a breath to my guardian angels – those with whom I share(d) heart time but are not on the face of the planet.
   • I dedicate a breath to the planet on which I sit.
   • I dedicate a breath to the atmosphere in which I breathe.
   • I dedicate a breath to the life that emerges in between the planet and the atmosphere.
   • I dedicate a breath to the cosmos which lies beyond.
   • I dedicate a breath to purusa – that which eternally sees.
   • I dedicate a breath or two to Yoga – the wholeness and entirety held by the preceding breaths. I  imagine breathing that wholeness into a small ball of light cupped in the space between my palms.
4. Closing
   • I inhale moving my palms away from my forehead to the space in front of me. I imagine leaving the small ball of light floating in front of my heart space.
   • I exhale opening my palms wider and lowering them further down.
   • I inhale and imagine that the small ball of light expands to fill the space between my hands.
   • I exhale and imagine the ball expanding into infinity.
   • I stay for a breath or two acknowledging the “nothing” that is left behind.
   • On an exhale I lower my palms to my knees and turn them facing down to indicate completion of the practice.
   • I stay for another few breaths and gently open my eyes.