In Search of Finding the Spirit for Service

We all hear quite a bit about "giving" lately in this seemingly endless recession. The true impact and fall-out from the recession may be felt for years to come. A lot of bad news; yes, we have heard. Yet, the call seems to be stronger to give as "giving is down, way down." So, "be charitable," "lending a helping hand," donate your services, donate your time and, all the while, do recognize the value of doing so.

But, just where you ask, is the spirit of giving going to come from when the chips are down, the worker bees are working harder than we have ever worked, the incessant chores need to be done, the children need to be bathed and the steady lists of to-dos are growing at alarmingly increasing rates like the well-fed pigeons in Venice.

Where does the art of giving, the drive to give back and be of service to others come from? Is there a deep well to drink from to recharge and renew? Can we visit the well only to return time and time again?

At least for this mother-of-two, wife, dog walker, non-stop cleaner and worker bee, the wells can be hard to discern. One well that I have re-discovered in the past years is the well from the practice of yoga.

And yes, yoga can get a very bad rap. Isn't yoga only for limber-Gumbyesque-types in their 20s and 30s? Doesn't yoga attract more women than it does men? What about the fact that I really want to sweat when I exercise? Isn't yoga just sitting on a mat and contorting one's body into circus-like poses? I can tell you that the answers to call of these questions are a resounding, "No." Here's why:

Take part in a vigorous "Vinyasa"styled yoga class and you will soon discover that the class is a.) sometimes more men than women; b.) a place where almost everyone is sweating profusely; c.) in some classes there are more yoginis in their 50s and 60s than their 20s. And, these yoginis are in such fantastic shape!

In search of the spirit of giving and inducing the giving state, one learns a valuable lesson time and time again. As one of my yoga teachers says repeatedly, "Think about your intent and why you have carved out this time for yourself. You have to be able to serve yourself before you can go out into the world and serve others."

So just how does one draw from this deep well? How does one retool, reprocess, lock and reload those energy reserves? In an exhilarating Vinyasa class, it typically starts with a chant or kirtan in Sanskrit. The accompaniment might be a small organ with the legs cut off which rests on the floor and is called a harmonium. The harmonium is a great tone setter and comes from India.

The words to these chants are unfamiliar, but the melodies catch enough to get the tune. The words come later. In dimmed lights and the room slowly starting to heating up into what will become a rainforest-like experience, the yogi is quieting the mind and focusing the intention with deep Pranayamic breathing. The intention is whatever the intention happens to be on that particular day. Then, the often eclectic music is revved up. Robert Plant can be heard through the initial poses, followed by maybe a little Coldplay and then a blues number comes up.

All of this works itself up into a heated series of asanas where lots of emerging sweaty bodies are often trance-like under the spell of a little pop and a lot of R&B. The class keeps going, building more and more heat with every pose; the energy palpable and sweaty bodies have caused the wooden floor becomes sprinkled in big and small trickles of sweat. The class culminates into some back bends and an A Capella version of a beautiful Sanskrit song. Sometimes, if you are lucky, the song is followed by a sound of a live magical flute.

The class then sets up for a collective exhale and deep relaxation pose called "Shevasana" or "corpse pose." The end is rather like just after a good run or sweet tennis match. What you get: the runner's high equivalent becomes you. The yoginis simply know it as "yoga brain."

This is where the well part comes in. You have now drank from this well and you got as good as you gave. If you turned your body and mind over to the practice, the rewards will not be lost. Like any good rewards, the"points" from yoga slowly add up.

You now know that that the well is a place to tap into when the giving needs to be done and you are wondering where the reserves can be drawn. They are right where you put them, deep inside a mindful yoga practice and waiting to be untapped and brought forth.

All the Best,


Loren