Opening to Grace everywhere

Dictionary.com defines grace as, "the freely given, unmerited favor and Love of God."
Honestly, need I go on from here? How awesome is that? You know, I was not raised in a family that taught Grace. I do not think either of my parents knew Grace for themselves and, although they did the best they could, they certainly did not pass on the notion that Grace both existed, flowed all around us, through us, even as us. The knowledge that Grace is something very real that we can actually invoke and tap into was not taught in the Frank household.

So, here are some ways I am looking at opening to Grace in my daily life as based on the Anusara Universal Principles of Alignment:
-PAUSE and soften-become sensitive to what I am feeling, sensing, hearing before speaking or acting
-REMEMBER the One that has my back-that has all our backs. As I heard Anusara teacher, Elena Brower say recently, "Move into my back body before I say something."
-Expand from the inside. Connect to the bigger energy and remember my own worthiness.
-As John Friend says, "Firmly step into the currents of grace with a solid foundation and a heart open to the infinite possibilities."
-Smile
-Remember the highest intention of my heart

Aren't these wonderful? What if we moved from this place always, everywhere? We can begin this practice NOW. Anusara invites us to practice this in each asana and we can continue off the mat.

Finally, a quote on the beginnings of Anusara:


"Understanding how Friend came up with Anusara Yoga (a-nu-sar-a) is a little like dipping your toe into the very deep well of Tantric philosophy. The name comes from the Sanskrit anu- the process of being in and sara -the flow, which is taken from a verse in the 1000-year-old Kularnava Tantra: "Shakti-nipata-anusarena sishyo'anugraham-arhati". UUUS-based Tantric scholar, Dr. Douglas Brooks, translates this as "Flowing with Grace (anusarena) we experience our inner worth, we align our bodies, our minds and hearts in the current of the Divine flowing through us, we celebrate life itself as we touch the Divinity who pulsates within us as our every thought, feeling, and experience." (http://www.omshop.com/Anusara/JohnFriend/tabid/131/Default.aspx)