Message from the Hopi Elders
We have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour
Now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour
And there are things to be considered.
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your truth
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader.
This could be a good time!
There is a river flowing now very fast
It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.
They will try to hold on to the shore.
They will feel they are being torn apart and they will suffer greatly.
Know the river has its destination.
The elders say we must let go of the shore, and push off into the river,
Keep our eyes open, and our heads above water.
See who is in there with you and celebrate.
At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves.
For the moment that we do,
our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.
The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves!
Banish the word “struggle” from your attitude and your vocabulary.
All that you do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
We are the ones we have been waiting for.…
—THE ELDERS, Hopi Nation, Oraibi, Arizona, June 8, 2000
Setting Intention: Beginning in a Sacred Way
All that you do now, as the Hopi elders remind us, must be done in a sacred way, and in celebration. This is especially true of selecting and creating the space in which you are going to experience your body as a temple, which is going to be the radiant, alchemical crucible of your embodiment of the light, your own transformation into the golden dancer.
Select a place in your home that is as quiet as possible. You may wish to create an altar on which you could place any symbols that inspire you and call you to the essence of your vision of your deepest self and of the fully embodied divine human you long to realize. The creation of an altar to inspire and dedicate your practice is a very personal act. You might bring together on your altar images of the divine, pictures of teachers or friends you love, flowers, candles, special stones—anything that deeply speaks to you of illumination, inspiration, and sacred presence. On Andrew’s altar are images of the God and Goddess in ecstatic union, photos of dear friends, pictures of Mary and the Christ, stones from all over the world, and an old Mexican good luck charm. On Karuna’s altar are candles, sage for burning, photos of ancestors and children, flowers, sacred carvings, and special gifts from heart friends. Tending to our altars and meditating on the objects on them over time gives our altars extraordinary power to infuse us with divine presence. On the occasion of Karuna’s sixtieth birthday, her heart friends built a beautiful altar for her in the center of her home, and placed carefully created or chosen gifts upon it to inspire and guide her practice and to bless her journey with their love, embodied in these symbols.
When you begin your practice, make sure you enter completely into the present moment. In silence, tune into the voice of your heart and allow it to form an intention or prayer that will guide your practice. You may want to dedicate your practice to the liberation of all sentient beings, or stream the merits of your practice toward the welfare of a being in need. Whatever focus you choose or prayer you make, make it consciously and deeply, so that all your ensuing practice will unfold from this sacred place. One suggested prayer to use is from the Buddhist tradition: “May from the merits of my practice all sentient beings everywhere be liberated from all suffering.” Another possibility is repeating the first line of the great prayer of St Francis: “Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.”
At first you might not be clear about your intention for this practice. Just let go and trust that inspiration will come. As Rumi wrote, “For sixty years I have been forgetful every moment, but not for a second has this flowing toward me stopped or slowed.”7 Sit or lie on your mat for a while, immersed in this flowing, and relaxing and listening to your body and mind. The place of not-knowing is rich and fertile. In beginner’s mind you are open to everything. Wait until an intention emerges that resonates throughout your body, mind, and heart. You can trust your intuition to guide you into the heart of your own authentic practice.
It is important to set a conscious intention to give yourself an uninterrupted time for practice, so that the outer distractions of daily living won’t disturb your immersion in devotion. Choose not to follow compulsions to do something else that suddenly looks crucial, like answering the phone, email, laundry, or dishes! For some people, practicing at the same time each day for a specific time period helps them stay disciplined. Others, especially parents of young children, just practice whenever they can! Whatever your current circumstances, make sure you honor your true self by giving yourself some time each day to savor its presence.
Gather Your Supplies
All you really “need” is a yoga mat so that your feet won’t slip in standing poses. It’s easy to buy one online or at a yoga studio, but if you don’t have one, you can still practice on the floor or a thin carpet. You might also enjoy using props like blankets, blocks, straps, bolsters, a chair, or an eye pillow. These props support you in easing into the poses more gently. Never force your body into a pose, but instead use these props to adapt the pose to suit the needs of your own unique body. In India there are holy days in which workers bless the tools of their trade and recognize them as precious gifts of the divine. Healers of different traditions bless and keep sacred their instruments to honor, thank, and keep them charged with divine powers. Objects used in sacred ceremonies all over the world are always maintained in a way that symbolizes their holy and precious nature. What ceremony could be more sacred than experiencing and uniting with your truest essence? Your yoga mat, props, meditation shawl, etc., are not only useful objects, they are holy. As you continue your practice, they become more charged with the power of your practice. Keep them in their own safe place and treat them with reverence and gratitude.
Consult a Health Professional
Heart Yoga is designed to be practically attuned to the needs of each unique individual. The energies it opens up in you can be powerfully healing, but you must always listen to the wisdom of your own body. As Seyyed Hossein Nasr so beautifully expresses, “The body, in fact, has its own intelligence and speaks its own ‘mind,’ reflecting a wisdom before which the response of any human intelligence not dulled by pseudo-knowledge or veiled by pride and the passions can only be wonder and awe at the Wisdom of the Creator.”8