A few days ago I felt inspired to write an article about celebration, but I didn’t write down the ideas. Today when I sat down to write, at first I felt blocked due to a challenging PMS state that was passing through my body-mind. My gut felt gripped from all sides, and I thought that I surely could not write anything inspiring in the throes of that state, but then I thought of what my teacher Basil would say: ‘We have to keep doing our disciplines, no matter how bad we feel.’ So, I began writing, and as I wrote, I healed myself along the way… Writing is healing for me, especially when it helps me to remember spiritual Truths that purify my mind of negative thoughts.

One such spiritual Truth is this: The mind becomes that which it dwells upon. This ancient Indian sutra counsels us to be careful where we put our attention, because our energies follow where we place our mind’s focus. So, rather than focusing on the gripping sensation in my belly, I advised myself to follow the thread of celebration; to jump on my cheerful horse calling out, “pdheop! pdheop!” PDHEOP is an acronym I made up recently to remind myself to be patient, detached, humble, enthusiastic, optimistic, and positive.

Invoking the lyrics of that old Kool & the Gang pop tune, “Celebration,” I set about opening my mind to dwell upon the original purpose of this human life: celebration… “Celebrate good times, come on… there’s a party going on right here, a celebration to last throughout the years… so bring your good times, and your laughter too, we gonna celebrate and party with you… let’s all celebrate and have a good time… it’s time to come together… it’s up to you ~ what’s your pleasure? Everyone around the world, come on!”

Merging all of our good times and all of our bad times together in one wild breath, let us delight in listening to our Mother Earth speaking to us. Spring wildness is the precious earth shouting in joy: “Celebrate good times! Smell my fragrances, see my colors, let your hearts sing in celebration of this blossoming season!”

O earth beings, open out to experience your oneness – not just with the creatures with whom you share the land, sea, and air, but also feel your oneness with the stars of the vast galaxies… and with the Love energies that pulse through races of space beings, whose very souls breathe our fabric of existence in and out of beingness. There is not even a tiny molecule separating us from the Whole of Creation. We are all connected in one continuous web of energy and vibration. From a little spider to a tall skyscraper, and from a miraculous human fetus to a shimmering space creature, everything, everything, everything is part of One connected energy. Every thought, every word, every action affects the Whole.

We are here on the earth to love and to celebrate. So many things pull us away from that celebration, but it is now time for us all to focus our intentions on uniting together in One Heart, One Love, One Singing and Dancing Celebration. Discarding the past garments that served as armor, let us adorn our bodies with flowers and feathers and glitter… Let us join hearts and hands, and dance together in celebration of our time here on this living earth.

Let us dwell upon this image: billions of human beings joining together to honor and heal the earth, and all the creatures of the land, sea, air, and space. Let us remember our intrinsic Oneness with everything.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of lilacs by orange glass candlight by Teja Shankara.