Have you ever caught a moment of pure bliss?

It washes over as you are driving, maybe on a sunny afternoon. The moment is as sweet, as it is gone in a flash.

Still, something has shifted within you just from having had the experience of remembering. When captivated in this state of joy, it is difficult to notice sensations in the body. It is an “other-worldly” experience. It is consciousness, our true essence that is joy. We are continually chasing happiness using our senses to try to bring us closer to this state, but it exists beyond the senses. We long for this freedom, because it is the truth of who we are.

And when we get glimpses through this window of meaning, it keeps us seeking.

As Seekers, we dance with the idea of freedom as we kiss our lover’s lips, indulge in our senses, or listen to our favorite song (I love music that makes me feel like I am flying).

How do we free ourselves of duality and fluctuations between consciousness and unconsciousness and slide into truth?

Like surfers, we can only know how to ride theses waves of bliss. Knowing that there is no lover to be kissed except for the one truth we all share, no sense that can be indulged permanently, and the only song that goes on forever is the one playing in our soul.

We had our first warm day this week where I live in Indiana. Unusually warm—it was 77 degrees in mid-March. As most people drove with windows down, tops rolled back, or got their motorcycles and jogging strollers out, I wondered how many people were experiencing moments of bliss, or “flight,” as their favorite song blasted through the speakers and wind blew through their hair.

Then I noticed a few scattered cars with their windows rolled up and I was pissed! How could they block themselves off from such a beautiful day. As my compassionate side tried to think up excuses for them, I became more outraged. There is no excuse for such misconduct. This was true scandal…not the usual blah blah drama that irritates us.

As humans we block ourselves from the light all of the time. We prevent our souls from taking flight like they were meant to.

We can’t fly if we are anchored down by fear, ego, refusal or attachment. These are the four veils that color the truth of our souls, and are usually at play during any given moment of the day.

The practice of yoga is to help us remove these veils that distort our true nature (joy) and wear our hearts on our sleeves.

This is a practice that I try to do each day, around these veils of illusion (avidya), that helps me to be more real and enjoy being alive.

1. Fear

“Do something that scares you. Fear is just excitement without the breath.” ~ Fritz Perls

2. Ego

Be compassionate. Practice non-judgement. Know that if you were that person, with their past and karmas, you would be doing the same thing.

3. Refusal

If my first reaction is a big no to something I know to pause and think it through. Most of the time, it needs to be a yes to life. I am not speaking about the voice of intuition that tells us no, but the voice of denying transformation and living our dharma.

4. Attachment

The spiritual practice is always about letting go. Deep breathing and softening help me to let things flow out of my life just knowing this is freeing me up for sweeter fruits.

A mind held too tightly is like a window rolled up on the most beautiful day of the year so far.

A mind held too relaxed is one that steers us out of control. A mind held not too tightly or too relaxed is the way of yoga. The shift is happening for us to move beyond yogic concepts to embodying this way of being, but you have to open some windows and let the breeze touch your spirit.

Practice the above when you can, enjoy the waters of life and maybe you will be set free to feel more alive.

We dive in and out of consciousness and we dive in and out of this world. Sometimes we meet here and sometimes we meet there. Today we are separate and tomorrow we are one.

Here is a great playlist of summertime music I put together with my loves. Enjoy next time you are driving with the window down, and let us know your favorite tune to listen to on a warm summer day.

Clocks ~ Coldplay ​

Sunrise ~ Norah Jones

Fallin’ For You ~ Colbie Caillat ​

Collide ~Howie Day

Let Go ~ Frou Frou

Fireflies ~ Owl City

Brand New Day ~ Joshua Radin

Sugar Magnolia ~ Grateful Dead

The Boys of Summer ~ Don Henley ​ ​

Flowers in the Window ~Travis ​

Caring is Creeping ~The Shins.

It’s a Summer Night ~ Flash Cadillac

Beautiful World ~ Colin Hay

Dani McGuire is a yoga teacher and asana addict that loves Love, Life, Family, Food, God, and, of course, Yoga. “Since I am unable to quiet the mental chatter and control thirst for earthly pleasures I live, write, and laugh and my human-ness.” Dani leads yoga workshops and teacher trainings, and is the founder of Pranayoga Foundation, a nonprofit teaching yoga to people with cancer and chronic illness. For more about Dani check out here and here.

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Editor: Brianna Bemel