The world is violent and mercurial, it will have its way with you. We are saved only by love—love for each other and the love that we pour into the art we feel compelled to share; being a parent; being a writer; being a painter; being a friend. We live in a perpetually burning building, and what we must save from it, all the time, is love.

--Tennessee Williams

LOVE. Not the Valentine’s kind that’s celebrated this month (although that can be nice), but the real, messy, hardworking, gritty kind. That’s the love we need right now. Yoga teaches us that we are all connected—we are made up of air, ether, water, fire and earth. We are part of nature, we are part of each other, without these interconnections we would not exist. So we must make love the priority in every moment. Love for self, love for others and the natural world.

Yoga can help us tap into this type of love. It can get us, and keep us, unstuck and open our hearts to fight for the values we hold dear. It can help move our energy through pain, grief, rage and anger, into right action. So this month, let’s love each other fiercely, let’s keep showing up with open hearts, let’s hold up those who need support, let’s pour love into our own unique “art we feel compelled to share.” For me, that art is yoga. What is it for you?

On our mats this month, we will focus on the flowing nature of vinyasa, the union of body, breath, heart, spirit. We will take a few extra breaths in our back bends, and we will go upside down to help us stay healthy and strong and to remind us to see each moment with a new perspective.

What I’m reading

Martyr by Kaveh Akbar

Teachings on Love by Thich Nhat Hanh

What I’m cooking

This warm and grounding soup

What I'm doing most days

Calling my senators and representatives to express my grave concerns about the state of our country, the cruel treatment of federal workers, and the dismantling of our democracy.

What I’m practicing

This metta meditation with Tara Brach—I just did this for the first time today. Throughout this month, I’m going to practice this meditation every morning before I get out of bed. Join me and let me know how you experience it.

Words of wisdom I’m pondering

“The very heart of yoga practice is abhyasa – steady effort in the direction you want to go.” ~ Sally Kempton