Playing with the Niyamas through the lens of Mark Nepo's The Fifth Season Your Foundational Stories The role of myth has always been to illuminate what is often hard to perceive, see, or accept. Our stories, whether uplifting, cautionary, or tragic, serve as reminders of our "who we are", our past, our present, and the factors that will (likely) shape our future. These narratives form our personal mythology, where we are the heroine (or goddess). Sharing our stories is crucia

Tell me a story When the door opened wide enough And you were swept through. Tell me a story when you were changed By the sounds of birds' wings swooshing overhead Or seeing the purple petals of a lone flower hanging from a vine As you passed by on the dirt road to somewhere. Tell me a story when you were changed By the feeling of rain pelting you, drenched to your core, laughing Or when the snow tipped mountain top peeked through the clouds, A glimpse of your insignificance.

As I delve into Mark Nepo's "The Fifth Season" and participate in the readings and journal exercises, I find myself inspired to share my reflections through the lens of the 8-Limbs of Yoga, with a particular emphasis on the Niyamas. Therefore, in the coming days, weeks, or possibly months, my reflections will be centered on the Niyamas - personal observances (as I understand them). But first, here are my musings, some of which are specifically Mark Nepo's words others are his