“Yoga is the practice of quieting the mind”— Patanjali
I saw how my world one day
crumbled into dust;
my sky lost all its glitter;
I had no ground to stand on;
Time like boulders
rolled down on me in torrents.
I saw the mind crush and smash.
I looked in vain
for the shelter of kindness.
Caught up in the whirlwind of chaos
I lost all my breath.
While I was sinking in the dark numbness
I caught hold of a voice
that rose from within, whispering
‘Pause; Breathe’.
I gasped at first
then took a deep breath
that slowly took me to a landscape within.
It was my first yoga;
my union, with my inner world.
Here the wounded mind heals;
the worn out heart finds rest;
here the day is not sunless;
neither the night starless.
Posted for my Midweek Motif ~ Yoga @ Poets United
sumanar/lekha 
So beautiful and moving, Sumana. When one’s world has crashed, truly it is the breath that allows us to get through, one breath, one moment, at a time. I especially love the beauty in your closing lines. I love this one so much! But then I love all your work.
I have heard wonderful things about the practice of yoga, Sumana. Your poem definitely gives reason for the practice. I have done a bit of yoga, but I don’t think enough to gain spiritual benefits. Might be time to think about it again as a way to get in touch with my inner world. An inspiring and motivating poem!
What a beautfiul poem in praise of yoga Sumana and so well written.
The sun and the stars seem to shine with greater intensity when we calm our minds and pay attention. I glad for those days that are not sunless, and those nights that are not starless.
I absolutely love your poem. When I was teaching, somewhere in each class period, I would have my students stop and breathe slowly and deeply, telling them to do that each time they sat to write. Can only hope some of them continued that practice. I have,
Elizabeth
https://soulsmusic.wordpress.com/2017/06/21/half-lotus/
Oh, the lovely feeling of breathing again. And those two last lines, say it all. Beautiful write!
Such a healing, that pause, gasp, breath, again. I felt while reading the bolder crushing, the torrents, and then the return to the land of the living. Wow.
Beautiful tribute to yoga. Somehow a deep breath restores one’s equilibrium. Thank you.
This is absolutely gorgeous!❤️ Especially love; “Here the wounded mind heals; the worn out heart finds rest; here the day is not sunless; neither the night starless.”❤️
Well composed. You had be breathing with you into the star filled night.
This is beautiful, breathing techniques help calm the inner turmoil and one is able to find a place of peace.
A wonderful write!
Yes, meditation and yoga bring inner peace…we just need to quieten the mental clamour and learn to breathe…Very inspiring piece, Sumana! Very well penned, as always!
gorgeous poem. moment by moment, breath by breath.
What a magnificent poem and vividly conveyed experience!
Gorgeous, Sumana! Thanks for sharing that experience.
great work!