Here are some thoughts on Unity that come from the Yoga tradition as well as some ways you can practice Unity today.

The Yoga tradition teaches that we are physically conceived and nurtured in a state of Unity. Our mother’s egg and our father’s sperm are united to create the first cells that will eventually because us. And then for nine months we live in a blissful state fully united with our birth mother because we rely on her for everything we need.

Once we are born into the world, however, we leave the comfort and security of our mother’s womb and our sense of Unity is shattered. We spend hours alone in a crib, we cry for our mother and we must learn to soothe ourselves. The disunity continues as we grow developing our likes and dislikes, exploring our strengths and weaknesses, seeing how we are similar to and different from others.

But because Unity is our first experience in this physical body, we are always trying to return to Unity whether we are aware of it or not

We may seek Unity through spiritual practices, work, relationships, hobbies, etc. Each of these things can give us glimpses of Unity, but for most of us it takes a lifetime to realize Unity. If we remember our first experience of Unity, we see the ingredients of this experience: acceptance, love, contentment, and present moment awareness.

Here are a few ways to cultivate these ingredients:
FLOW EXPERIENCES Bring body, mind and breath together in yoga, meditation, creating art, or otherwise losing yourself in the moment.

EMBODY OPPOSITES Think of someone who believes radically different from you. Rather than trying to convince them of your opinion, imagine that you are they and try to embody their views. Notice how this simple exercise builds empathy for others’ viewpoints.

ELEVATE YOUR LOVE Like all emotions, love has lower and higher vibrations. Low level love is attachment where we hold onto what we want to keep and push away what we reject. We reserve our best for those closest to us. High vibration love includes everyone—humans we know and don’t know, animals, nature—and is future oriented because it wants the best for all who will come after.

One World = Unity Consciousness

The 20 minutes I spend in savasana have become favorite minutes of the day for me. Pronounced SHAH-VAH-SAH-NAH, it means “corpse pose” in Sanskrit. I schedule into my day this dedicated time to be still, rest and reflect. Even though I am busy and often have to schedule it in between other activities, I have been doing it long enough that I really can drop into relaxation for that short, sweet time.

Savasana is the pose of deep relaxation in Yoga. We are supported by the earth, which grounds us and balances our energy. If lying flat on the ground is not comfortable, we can support our body with props. My favorite are a pillow or folded blanket under the head/neck/shoulders; a rolled blanket or bolster under the thighs/knees; a light blanket over the body; an eye covering/washcloth/scarf over the eyes. Set the timer for 20 minutes and ahhhh.

We are all quite busy during the day, either through moving the body or engaging the mind. The part of the nervous system most active at this time is called sympathetic, also known as the “fight or flight response.” Savasana quiets the sympathetic system by activating the complementary system known as parasympathetic, also known as the “rest and digest response.” As its name suggests, the parasympathetic response encourages better digestion, elimination, breathing and sleeping.

And when you practice Savasana every day, all of these crucial body functions become more regulated.

You might like to take the Savasana challenge, practicing every day for 21 days or even 40 days. What benefits do you hope for? What changes actually occur? I’d love to hear about your experience, but please wait 20 minutes to get in touch with me.