Each morning I stop at my turn around point on whatever trail I'm on, always trees in sight.

Orienting myself to face southward, I feel through my body a rooting through my feet. I lift from Mountain to stand in Volcano, easy to do among towering redwoods or supple alders or leaning cedars. I inhale the strength of these persevering giants; I exhale my grief, entrusting it into their transformative capacity.

Then, breathing and flowing though a variety of Warrior and Triangle poses, I turn to face each of the cardinal directions, and invite these things into my life:

from the south, winds of change, forward progress;

from the north, a sense of direction, focus;

from the west, hope, inspiration;

from the east peace, acceptance.

As I flow from east to west, from south to the north I think about the relationships between experiencing change and having a sense of direction, and between the states of hope and a peace. Sometimes this means stretching between with Warrior III or finding a binding pose. Resting my weight on my hands as they touch the ground is a vital part of this moving prayer, as I ground myself and connect with all the other life rooted in this earth.