Awakening the Senses

I awoke about 4:30 in the morning.....the stillness of the warm air was remarkable. I took a quiet seat facing sacred Mt. Agung, closed my eyes and welcomed the day. The prior 24 hour travel slowly was moving out of my body as I began to prepare myself for new experiences. I stepped onto the mat recognizing it had been a very long time since I'd practiced before the dawn of the day. I stood in Tadasana, welcoming the unfamiliar ground below me and invited the morning to carry me intentionally into the bliss of Bali. What arose were standing and balancing asanas, grounding me and preparing me for the transition of new experiences......

My senses were so alive and reacting to new surroundings.....my eyes were curious to the colorful sarapes and people in the streets, glorious architecture and enchanting landscape. My untrained ears were delighted to the sounds of Gamelan music in the evening and a new language. My nose was enamored to the smells of fresh flowers and incense from the daily offerings. My mouth relished in the flavors of cocunut, ginger, fresh vegetables and delicious fruits. And my body was ever so welcoming and open......

I found an heightened awareness to my body's reactions to the early morning meditation and asana, assessing and reassessing every moment and every movement. The external stimuli around me was facilitating an amazing ability to tune in....exactly that, tune in and allow myself to lead and be lead into the day, preparing me to embrace the newcoming.