Last night can only be called magical. Tomales Bay was still, calm and warm (a once a decade occurrence) with the water like glass. I chose to go kayaking last night just by pure chance and so fortunate to have done so. I am consciously choosing to do activities that I have never done before but have always wanted to try, have neglected, or are out of my usual comfort zone–maybe even just a little scary. This is my yoga off the mat, taking the qualities to practice the challenging asana, bakasana, pincha mayurasana, drop back in urdvha danurasana off my mat– to practice courage and poise, trust, faith, and bravery in the larger world. Kayaking at night as a novice kayaker with a group of people I did not know qualified on all counts! We can never know if the timing is right, the day right, we just have to take the leap. What magic! In the twilight, I saw rays and leopard sharks — two swam close enough that I could have touched their fins. As deep darkness descended, the stars appeared, and the cormorants settled onto their tree perches of Hog Island with their other-wordly warblings, the thrill of sweeping my hand in the water as we glided through bioluminescent creatures lighting up was amazing. Exchanging my daily urban life for this unique moment in time in the natural world was deeply, even soulfully transcendent and rejuvenating.

Go do that which challenges you, intrigues you, even scares you a little bit. We never know when that bit of transcendence will occur but we can cultivate practices and experiences to open to the possibility!