A Blessed Portal

This is what I like about being Jewish-- the teaching that we can always begin again. On this evening as Yom Kippur (the day of atonement) begins at sundown, the gates of heaven are supposedly open for us. We can repent, lay down our burdens, our sorrows, our wrongful past. We can begin again.

And this is what I love about being a mommy too. No matter how hard the day was, we always begin again. Smiles and love are the sunrise of our darling girl and she calls me to begin anew each day. 

This is what I love about yoga. We can always begin again. For me there is a strikingly strong resemblance between the Yoga Sutra 1:1 Atha yoganusasanam, and our evening prayers of Kol Nidre.

Atha yoganusasanam meaning roughly, Now is the time for yoga. And Kol Nidre can be expounded to be; Now is the time to come, to rise, all of us together--here.

Both of these are prayers for humanity individually and collectively. Both call us to action. Both call us to begin again. Both call to our presence, asking us to come out of hiding. We are called to yoke ourselves to truth and honor once again. 

The goddess sprinkled many different avenues to understand her amongst her peoples. In the end, and in the beginning and for all time she is always calling us to attention, to presence, to here. To now. Again and again.
We can always begin again.
Now is the time.
Here.
All of us.

No matter what your religion, your color, your preferences, yoga is waiting for you and she is calling to you on this evening. For those of us Jewish yogis, may you each be filled with the release only forgiveness can bring and the ferocity of heart only passion endures. May you walk through the open gates with dignity. And begin again.