The way of transformation lies in surrendering our illusions of control and learning to live with uncertainty. It means taking pleasure in our fundamental questions about life rather than rushing toward simplistic answers. It means we strive not just to understand but to embody our understanding. The way of transformation requires a special kind of toughness and willingness to experience emotional intensity. It requires humility and a foolishness born of the desire to live and love with abandon.

And the payoff? The payoff is the ecstasy that comes through seeing, with openheartedness, things as they are, and allowing feeling, sensation and love to flow through us. Ecstasy is a word we can hardly use without conjuring thoughts of drug use, madness, or inability to function. But when I speak of ecstasy, I am not talking about some dangerous state where we are out of control of our actions or out of touch with reality. (The only threat that ecstasy poses is that it breaks down our illusions of separateness and it reveals the madness of heartless competition and greed). Instead, it is an intense joy available to most everyone. The mystics say it is our essential nature, our natural state. Once we open ourselves to the ecstatic flow of feeling and energy in our bodies, we are less bound to old ideas about the kinds of protections that are needed to live in this world. Our own ability to open and connect becomes a source of power in times of conflict or adversity.

–Kenneth Robinson, Alaya Process facilitator

You can also read an essay he wrote reflecting on his experience with yoga and healing here. I miss working with him and his co-facilitators. I miss the group. But hey, I’m in California. This place, if nothing else, is rich with venues for growth. I’ve only just arrived. Patience. In time, I’ll see more. (Patience is one of my developing traits!)