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Equanimity cradles the immense sorrow & wonder of life at the same time.

- Sharon Salzberg, Buddhist teacher

Have you seen NASA’s image of Earth as seen from Mars? There’s nothing quite like the view of our planet from space to gain helpful perspective and remind us that we’re all in this together.

Intellectually, we might know that we’re a blip on the cosmic screen. But seeing our world as a tiny speck in the vastness of space evokes a visceral sense of our place in the universe; it’s both awe-inspiring and humbling.

I’ve always associated equanimity – the evenness of mind that characterizes yoga - with spaciousness. When you maintain centeredness amidst life’s messiness, it’s because you’ve cultivated an awareness that’s big enough to hold it all.

In yoga, we develop and strengthen this inner spaciousness in many ways.

Postural practice creates physical and energetic space, enhancing ease of movement, breath capacity, and mindful awareness.

Breathwork expands our energetic and mental capacity to shift into a more spacious viewpoint.

Meditation hones our natural self-reflective ability to witness our thoughts without fully identifying with them. In meditation, we connect to an observing presence that encompasses all activity without being affected by it. Over time, we become more attuned to this awareness that’s bigger than whatever’s going on in our minds.

How astounding that the expanded perspective we gain from seeing Earth from space is accessible to us as an internal experience.

Yoga provides us with pathways to cultivate an inner cosmic view, and with it, expands our capacity to stand in the fullness of our human experience with a steady mind and an open heart.