“In a world where everything can seem ugly, respond by remembering goodness.” ~ William K. Mahoney
As a young adult I could not understand why my mother-in-law would buy houseplants and flowers. For me the only plants worth investing my energy in were those that could produce food. I kept a vegetable garden, and ignored the landscaping plants. The flowers I planted had a utilitarian purpose, to keep the bugs away from my vegetables!
Yoga taught me how to see and value beauty.
This practice of Shri, of turning your attention towards goodness, became a practice that brought powerful shifts to my well being. I began to experience less fear, anxiety, and depression. By looking for Shri in others my relationships improved. Today, I am surprised when I look around my home and see dozens of plants that are (mostly) thriving! And when my mind, driven by its natural negativity bias, laments the dirt on my floor, in the next moment…
I find my eyes resting a few inches above the dirt, on the beauty of the unfolding peace lily and my mind and body ease.
The world can seem ugly so easily in this technological age we find ourselves in. Overwhelmed by too much information, news that lacks integrity, social, environmental, and political challenges abound. And,
our mind’s are, by design, driven to notice and seal into memory all the negativity…and there’s a beauty in this too…survival!
But we want more than survival, we want to thrive! Yoga teaches us to “respond by remembering beauty and goodness.” When you attend to the beauty in life your brain releases dopamine, soothing the fiery amygdala. Your brain becomes “stickier” for more positive experiences, releasing you from apathy.
Shri is the practice of looking for essence nature; divine goodness; a deep beauty that is revealed, even in the mundane, even in the ugly. Revealed beauty implies that something is hidden. Yoga is the practice that reveals. Our humanity, by design conceals. We have a mind that sees duality, this or that, good or bad, right or wrong. We have a body that is temporary and experiences pain. So, we forget.
Yoga invites you to turn to the practice of remembrance.
To remember is to recollect; regard; recognize; and reminisce. Remember comes from the Latin prefix re which means “again and again” and the root memory, “to be mindful.” Remembrance of Shri is turning your kind attention to the present moment “again and again” to witness the beauty, goodness, value, and strength in life.
We don’t practice Shri to deny reality, but to gain strength for managing the paradox of being both divine and human; both substance and spirit.
Shri invites you to extend that remembrance to all beings, to all nature. In the Bhagavad Gita, an ancient yogic text often described as a spiritual guidebook and love song to the Lord, Krishna says in verse *(10.4) “Wherever you find strength, goodness or beauty in anything that exits, in each case know that it arises as a portion of my own splendor. (7.7) The whole Universe is strung upon me like pearls on a thread.”
The remembrance of Shri asks you to look for the thread the connects us all. Especially now in uncertain times, the weight of the unknown causes our forgetting. When fear overtakes us we lose sight of the thread that binds us all, we judge others. Shri invites you to appreciate and value all reality.
What is dirt on my floor is nutritious soil in the lily pot! Shri asks you to be mindful again and again that we all belong.
The remembrance of Shri is a bright quality of the Sky element. Sky invites you to open to a Bigger Energy, to invite a wider perspective and a compassionate heart. And Shri practice takes courage. It takes courage to look beyond the intensity of your fears and doubts, to go deep, and look for the thread that unites us all.
When you practice Shri, your heart opens and you remember your true nature that is joy, divine beauty, goodness, and strength and your recognition of this in your heart and in all hearts is the highest purpose of yoga.
Savor the Moment Using your Senses:
I suggest practicing this exercise daily, building up to several moments each day. I’ll offer several places in your day where can apply the practice. Check in with all five (5) senses for each moment. What do you see? Is there a smell? A taste? Sound(s)? What do you feel? What sensations or sense of touch do you notice? Take several breaths as you “install” the beauty, goodness, and ease of these moments in your day.
- Perhaps when you first wake up, before even getting out of bed, look for something pleasant in your experience. Maybe the warmth of your blankets, the comfort of your pillow, or the light spilling through your window. Pause and notice all the qualities of the experience.
- Notice when you take your first warm or cool drink of the day.
- Pause and notice a smile, hug or an embrace from a loved one, friend, or pet.
- Savor your first three (3) bites of a meal (or all of your meals)!
- Take in your experience of nature. The trees, the air, the light.
- You might use a memory that brings enjoyable pleasant feelings to you and focus on that for a short time.
Neuroscience teaches us that it takes at least ten (10) seconds to “install” goodness in you. Pause for a few breaths to establish more beauty and goodness in you!
May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be safe. May you live your life in peace and ease!
*Bhagavad Gita translation courtesy of William K. Mahoney
Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.
