Touching the Mandala of Now – A Daily Yoga

a practice of deep healing and profound presence

These gathas, (memory verses), can be mentally recited along with a rich awareness of your natural, unforced breathing. Initially, you will need to learn the phrases. Once you know them, you will then be able to deepen into the experiences that the phrases are pointing towards. Do the whole practice at least once a day in a relaxed unhurried way. If you have the time, explore each pair of verses for three breath cycles before moving on to the next pair of verses. For example: “Breathing in … I open my eyes. Breathing out … looking care-fully at everything around me.” is the first pair. Stay with this gatha for three breath cycles and then move on to, “Breathing in … appreciating all that I see. Breathing out … may all beings rest in true happiness”. Don’t think of this as ‘meditation’. Rather take it as an invitation to be acutely engaged with everything within and around you. Enjoy!

Touching the Mandala of Now

Breathing in . . . . . I open my eyes
Breathing out . . . . . looking care-fully at everything around me
Breathing in . . . . . appreciating all that I see
Breathing out . . . . . may all beings rest in true happiness

Breathing in . . . . . I open my ears
Breathing out . . . . . listening attentively to the sounds and conversations around me.
Breathing in . . . . . hearing with every cell of my being
Breathing out . . . . . may everyone be appreciated, just as they are

Breathing in . . . . . I open my nostrils
Breathing out . . . . . savoring the smells of this time and place
Breathing in . . . . . intimate with the rich aliveness of all that’s around me
Breathing out . . . . . may all beings be bathed in the perfume of simple presence

Breathing in . . . . . I open my taste buds
Breathing out . . . . . receiving the gifts of countless living beings
Breathing in . . . . . nourishing myself and everyone that I meet
Breathing out . . . . . may we all know the bliss of abundant support

Breathing in . . . . . I open my sense of touch
Breathing out . . . . . my feet rest solidly upon the earth
Breathing in . . . . . feeling the myriad textures of the world snugging and supporting my life
Breathing out . . . . . may all beings know the blessing of deep, honest, contact

Breathing in . . . . . I open the door of my mind
Breathing out . . . . . allowing thoughts, and feelings, and memories, to flow as they will
Breathing in . . . . . appreciating the miracle of everything
Breathing out . . . . . may all beings rest easefully in the home of their heart

Breathing in . . . . . I rest in openness
Breathing out . . . . . radiating warmth to everyone and everything around me
Breathing in . . . . . softening in this precious moment
Breathing out . . . . . may love suffuse us all

Sarva Mangalam