Where is Paradise?

Daily Reflection
We have heard the question before - where is paradise? We look for paradise in external places - the sandy beaches of Florida, Pike's Peak in Colorado, the ashrams of India, the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower. We travel the world in search of paradise. We hold on to that moment of peace and beauty when we see these beautiful sites, and just for a moment, we are content; we are happy. People have been searching for paradise for centuries. They have been setting out on a journey - a journey to find bliss. What we come to find as we practice yoga is that we don't need to leave, set out on a journey or travel to find paradise, to find peace, to find contentment, to find happiness. Paradise is found within. Paradise is a state of consciousness.

In your journal today, write about all of those places you have gone to in order to find your version of paradise. Maybe you didn't travel but instead associated paradise with a job, career, relationship, etc. What is your own definition of paradise? If you lived in paradise, what would that look like to you? Ask yourself why? Why have I chosen these things to define my paradise? Slowly begin to shift your thinking from external things to your internal spirit. Go within. Perhaps do a short meditation. What shifts do you need to make to your state of consciousness to create that type of paradise that is your very core, your very foundation, that paradise you carry with you everywhere?

Swami K