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Nature's Gold


Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day,
Nothing gold can stay.
~Robert Frost
This poem, especially for us Westerners, can seem depressing, but a deeper look transforms it into a call to live fully right now.
One of the foundation practices of Mindfulness Yoga involves recognizing impermanence in all things. As we hold a yoga pose, we can observe changes in the breath, physical sensations, the overall feeling tone (pleasant, unpleasant or neutral) and the activity of the mind. Expanding awareness of the constant changes within us on the mat can help us let go of attachments off the mat as well as help us to know that "this too shall pass"--"this" being a difficult thought or feeling, day or phase of life, and beyond. The result is greater freedom and peace.

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