A Lotus Story

There is a pond in my backyard where Lily flowers grow. They tell a story to me every day. They emerge from the darkness, reaching toward the sunlight. You can watch the baby flower buds, so soft and fragile, making their way towards the surface of the water for weeks. And then, one day, they each will bloom! At that point it takes just 30 minutes for the flower to fully emerge, and then they radiant in all their glory. As the sun begins to set, the petals close for the night, and for the next three or four days they take this repeated journey, blooming to share their beauty, and resting in between. Then, they dive back into the water for death. Each time I see the flowers, they say to me, “my time is short, my beauty sweet… take a moment, pause your feet… let your eyes rest upon my grace, and in it’s mirror, see your own face, and know that all we have shall pass… in birth, beauty and death there is contrast. But in this moment you can know that as I leave, another will grow.”

I view our yoga, meditation and health practices in a similar way. Our physical bodies are constantly in evolution & change, sometimes blossoming, sometimes resting, and everything in between. Our minds also go through the lotus journey as we live and grow in this world, often we feel that our struggles and obstacles are like dark mucky waters. When we allow ourselves to reach up toward the sunlight, emerging through times of difficulty, often we can feel ourselves blossoming in the beautiful glory of a flower on the other side. The lotus flower teaches us to trust in the sacred processes of life, reach toward the sunlight, and allow ourselves to grow, blossom, and even fall with grace. I invite you to take this energy with you onto your yoga mat, or your meditation space, and welcome in the wisdom of nature to your practice!

Submission by

Krista Allen, Holistic Yoga Teacher