You are truth.

(found here)

One cold Sunday morning I woke up early enough to make it to a yoga class. I was hesitant because of the cold, but then I decided to take the time to go honor myself. I am so glad I did. I was only person who had shown up to the class, and I had my very own private yoga and meditation class. It was a Kundalini yoga class, which is a wonderful, spiritual type of yoga and it focuses on prana energy in the spine. The movements in Kundalini yoga are very different than regular yoga moves. If you have not yet tried this type, I strongly recommend it.

The instructor was kind and took the time to explain things to me as I was a beginner. We chanted “Om” together. Om is a powerful syllable. It represents the union of mind, body, and spirit. When you say it right, your whole body seems to vibrate and pulse the sound. The instructor said afterwards that when we had chanted, she had felt that there had been a whole room full of people because of my strong voice and presence. I smiled when she said that, because when I had closed my eyes I had imagined the room full of people to feel less self-conscious. As we began the class we had the energy of a whole group of people.

Another chant we did was “Sat Nam” (pronounced like ‘sut nom’) or “I am truth”. These words calmed and empowered me at the same time. I am still reflecting on their meaning.

We also chanted, “Ong Namo Guru Deyu Namo”, which means, “I am open to the divine teacher within me”. As we chanted these words over and over, something strange happened after a while. I felt my body grow bigger, larger. I was fully inhabiting my body, and I felt like I was as big as the room. The ground and my mat disappeared. I felt as though I was floating, expanding, and I was full of joy. I am thin, and I didn’t realize until then that I normally perceive myself as small, barely there at all. After saying this chant, I felt larger than life. I felt the divine soul within me, and I felt cosmic bliss. 

At the end of class, we both thanked each other. She told me that she felt as though I was her angel saving her from an empty room, and I felt that she had helped show my own incredible value to myself.

I am only beginning this spiritual journey. But now when I felt discouraged I remember that class. I remind myself that I am energy. I am joy. I am large and limitless. I am my own best teacher. I am part of the divine. I am one with the universe, and can tap into that power when I need to. And so can you.

Ong Namo Guru Deyu Namo.