You Are The Instrument Breath Is Playing

August 3, 2020

This past week my students and I have explored this idea in morning yoga practice. What instrument am I at this moment? A screeching guitar? A peaceful harp? A joyful ukelele? How do we become that instrument? Through the breath.

Strong or soft, wild or serene —
Wherever the breath flows there is song.
Hear its whisper touching behind the face,
Singing in the throat,
Dancing spirals in the sanctuary of your heart.

In this practice of listening,
A moment may come when you just want to lie down.
This is a doorway — surrender.
Fall into the wide-open embrace of life.
You are the instrument breath is playing.

All the meditations you have ever loved
Are vibrating in this luxurious hum,
Continuing even in sleep and dreams. This is your school. Just you and infinity.
The texture of the Self is untamed freedom.
Yukti Verses from the Radiance Sutras by Lorin Rocche, PhD

As you advance in your yoga practice, after you become at ease with some asanas, then comes contentment with your breath. Directing your breath in your postures is pranayama — vital life force extension (and it means just that)! Once you steer the breath, then your attention can turn inward to create pratyahara (removal of sense overload), then the meditation comes freely.

In the end, we hope that our breath and yoga asana practice with sincere intention has made us an even more important instrument — one that serves the divine will and helps us to be a better service to our community.