Dr. Suetra presents: Yoga Sutra of Patanjali 1.2 yogah citta vritti nirodhah
Yoga is the stilling
of the changing states of mind~
The act and policy of
No chitta* left behind.
Yoga is the re-channeling
of habits of the mind~
Capacity for Contentment grows
And Vrittis* get declined.
Yoga is the resolution of
the agitations of the mind.
A uniting of consciousness in the
heart of all mankind.
Yoga is the settling of the
mind into silence.
Nirodha* the misconceptions,
And ignorant defiance.
Yoga is the deepening into
the state of tranquility~
Out of the surface ripples~
And into heart’s reality.
Yoga is a steady process
of fire and nectar release ~
A move toward settling
into the natural state of peace.
Practice the yoga of quelling
your scattered surface thoughts~
before slinging the reactive,
impulsive, negative shots.
Instead of playing Whacamole with
your worries, doubts and fears~
Consider focusing your attention on
the music of the spheres.
Each inhale, think calm~
Each exhale, think peace.
Favor these words~
Your distractions will decrease~
*Citta means mind, or consciousness.
*Vritti means tendency or fluctuation.
*Nirodha means restriction or suspension.
Yoga has become a great way for children of ALL abilities to become aware of their body, in line with their breath, and connected to the beautiful truth and peace within them. As an occupational therapist and devoted yogi, Allison Morgan of Zensational Kids (see 
As Earth Day approaches this year, I am struck by what it means to truly foster Peace on this planet. I remember as a child, learning about anti-nuclear protestors who chained themselves to fences and were forcibly removed and jailed. These brave souls became my heroines and heroes in the late 1970’s and 1980’s. I was moved to tears singing Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind” and hearing stories of civil disobedience and the message of non-violent resistance. Later in the 1990’s, when I danced barefoot on my very first Earth Day, a lump would form in my throat when I celebrated each small victory (and the Gigantic Hearts) of environmental protestors who sacrificed so much to save a single tree and worked to preserve open space for our children’s children. Peace.