Guardians At The Gate

The rich sabor of August comes from more than turned-over earth smells, tastes of warm vine tomatoes, and owl-screams piercing the night. There is something about her heat and somnolence that imbues luxe perception–when we take time. August herself could be one of Titian’s queens, or Rembrandt’s Graces, where more is definitely more, and more is weighty, sensual, and sublime, fat or no fat.

We want more from her days for we feel summer slipping from our fingers. I don’t know if we become manic depressive, swinging from extremes of doing, and not doing, or whether the imbalance comes from attacking one issue, letting all else melt in the sun. These slow and simmering hours offer time for greater awareness. The playful hours feed our inner centers where we grow consciousness. Beauty in the outer world transforms the inner, where we grow new roots, informing the Shakti, or impulses of our inner rhythm. These serve as pathways of communication to lead us ever deeper. The bi-polar sweetness of August demands we stop, taste, nap, AND get it all while we can.

There’s a part of us that remains a forever-child saying, “School in five days, six hours. How much can I do before I’m locked away?” I need help in creating and holding a balance, and have stationed ‘Guardians at the Gate’ to protect both the quiet of growing Shakti, AND the explosions of work, and adventuring. I need help in honoring both, AND I need them in equal measure. These Guardians have been given orders that when they see me moving off kilter, giving too much attention and time to one, they are to protect the balance, call me to center, and serve my highest good, no matter the whining, or dragging of feet. (We never grow far from childhood, no matter the grey hair.)

Asana: Simply stand still in Tadasana, be your own best Guardian at the Gate. What do you see?

Health Notes: Lovely as being manic can be, we cannot live there, nor can we live only in meditation. Pulling ourselves from teetering edges of imbalance requires attention and work. Ask for help. Sometimes amazing Guardians appear.