As the natural world completes yet another season of growth and prepares in spectacular fashion for the great rest that is winter, it is important to recognize that the cycles of growth, rest, and repair, which we so take for granted in the natural world, actually occur within us as well.
The life forms in a natural environment do not exist independently of each other; rather, they co-exist in an interdependent relationship with each other. Together they comprise a larger whole, a system that is itself a living entity, an eco-system.
Just as we have come to recognize that the health of our natural environment, as well as our own personal health, depend on our ability to engage harmoniously and sustainably with the ecosystem we inhabit, it is also essential that we understand the vital importance of engaging harmoniously and sustainably with the ecosystem that lies within, acknowledging the profound interdependence of the parts which comprise the whole, and honoring our own natural cycles of growth, rest and repair.
And so we come to our yoga mats…