The Summer Solstice is approaching, and the fullness of the season is everywhere I look. All the trees are full and luscious. The flowers continue to pop out of the ground with such vibrancy. Vegetable gardens are coming to life, and the some-what monochromatic wood trails I trotted down with my dog all winter long are now adorned with sparkling Mountain Laurel. How easy it is this time of year to recognize the fullness and abundance outside and all around us, but what about recognizing our inner fullness as well?The Sanskrit word Purna means to be full; an inner fullness. In Anusara, when we Open to Grace, we open to the fullness that already exists inside our own hearts. We open to the full spectrum of possibility and potential already inside each of us. A fullness that is waiting and wanting to be recognized and engaged. Of course sometimes, maybe even most of the time, this is much easier said than done. It is easy to feel full inside when things in life are going our way. When the weather is beautiful, when we’re joyful and feeling at ease. But, what about the moments we’re not fully absorbed in the light of loving ourselves? What about when we’re in periods of suffering? Or simply just having a bad day? It is in these moments, when experiencing our inner brightness may not come as easily that practicing purna is most important. In these inevitable moments of lack we must remember purna is also the full recognition of the self. To recognize fully whatever you’re feeling inside at any given moment. What is fullness for you in this moment? What is fullness for you today? Once you’ve recognized however full you are feeling try asking, Can I make more? If you can make more inner fullness great! If you can’t today that is great too! It is recognizing the self in all of its complexities that matters most. When we allow ourselves to sit in the fullness of self-recognition, we can begin to deconstruct self-inflicted judgment and limitation, we can more easily access our own innate goodness, and the Ananda or joy that already lives inside all of us. And then, from the fullness inside we can expand out into the world and engage life more fully.
The easiest way to find our inherent fullness is to open and connect to the fullness of the breath. The breath’s nature is fundamentally full and expansive, and the best part is that it is effortless! You do not need to think or control it, just let the fullness of the breath breathe you. Let the breath make space in your physical body and in your awareness for the inner fullness that is always there, always in the space of the heart, just waiting for you to embrace and experience.
Written By Suzie Goldstein
