Life at the Ashram - Day 19 (aka Bundling Books)

This morning I was bundling books for the bookstore. It was neat work. Very slow because you have to wrap them really nicely with ribbon. So I worked slowly and mindfully. This afternoon I'm on grounds so I'll find out soon what we're doing.

Last night during Satsang, instead of our usual Prasad (dried fruit) we each received a pearl. They were from a pearl mala (prayer beads) that one of the new Yoga teachers had given (symbolically) to Swami Radha. I loved the symbolism behind the pearl. We are each only one pearl, but together we're Radha's mala. For me my pearl symbolises my spiritual community. It's great to have a totem that reminds me that while I'm the one pearl, the rest of my spiritual community are out there as well (whether they were here to receive actual pearls or not). It got me thinking of all the pearls on my mala (friends, teachers, students), and that was a happy thought.

More things I'll bring home from here:

• Reflection breaks. At home I reflect at the end of the day. But it would be good to have a break mid-day to see what might be coming up in the work I'm doing and let that reflection change my perspective.
• Moving my body more often in general. My body likes to move, beyond the Yoga classes and walking. Just in general, more movement.
• A spiritual community. I need this. I need friends that I connect with about spirituality. I need a community to practice with.
  

LL - Thanks! Miss you guys!