Yoga Lessons from Ecuador, p. 2

The Amazon Rainforest as viewed from the Sacha Lodge Canopy Walk in Ecuador.

So many pathways to the Light

As I shared in my last yoga letter, I had a once-in-a-lifetime experience in Ecuador recently, when my husband and I visited the Galápagos Islands and the Amazon Rainforest for our 5th anniversary. In the photo above, we were standing on a bridge gazing out over the rainforest canopy when, Jarrold, our Nature Guide, shared that there are more plant species in one hectare of the land below us in this part of the Amazon than in all of North America. I found that simply amazing. Talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion - the Amazon has it in spades!

Basically, each plant and tree is just trying to reach for the light. Similarly, every human being is trying to be touched by the Light of awareness and there are many different ways of being in the path towards getting there. As a friend of mine, Mike, said to me yesterday there are many paths leading up to the top of the mountain. You just have to find the one that's right for you. For some humans, it's yoga and meditation. For others it may be Islam, Hinduism, or Jesus or any number of other spiritual practices. Or simply prayer. I thought the Amazon Rainforest was an apt metaphor for this human quest for the Light. Some folks are still in relative darkness on the forest floor, and others have figured out ways to be closer to the Light. And each of us may look different -- like the many species found in the Amazon -- but we each need to be touched by Light in order to grow to our fullest individual potential.

This epiphyte -- or plant that grows on another plant but is not parasitic -- is helped along by this tall tree it's attached itself to.

Our practice helps others

This beautiful bromeliad above is able to flourish by taking up residence on the trunk of a tree high above the ground, and thus bringing it closer to the sunlight. In nature, this is called commensalism, where one species benefits while the other one is unaffected. Similarly, as yogis and meditators, we can help others to flourish simply by giving them fertile soil from our own practice upon which to build their own. We affect others just by the peaceful light we give off as a result of our practice, and we probably won't ever really know how many others we are affecting in positive ways. In each of our own humble ways, we can move closer to our bodhisattva, spiritual warrior potential by helping others to be touched by more Light.

Pausing above the canopy in the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest at Sacha Lodge. With sunset -- a.k.a. the Golden Hour -- nearing, the sky's colors were spectacular.

Gratitude

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for having had this opportunity to see another part of God's grand vision expressed in a multitude of ways and possibilities. This has been a life-changing experience, one I won't soon forget. For sure, having an attitude of gratitude can keep our mind and hearts open, and is another path we can take toward moving closer to the Light.

I posted photos, videos, and commentary in a travelogue on my Facebook page, if you'd like to get a glimpse of what this part of the world looks like.

A hauʻoli makahiki hou, happy new year, to you and yours!

May you be happy, …
May you be healthy, …
May you find your own path towards the light, …
May you help others along the way, … 
May your mind and heart be filled with gratitude for all that you've been given, …
May your collective practices benefit all Beings everywhere, including those that exist in Nature.

Aloha and Metta,
Paul Keoni Chun

Photo Credits:
Photos of the Amazon Rainforest by me and my husband Ed.