Suffusing the Ordinary

What Emerson and Kundalini Yoga share— and what they ask of us.

By: CK

Ralph Waldo Emerson describes nature as the physical world experienced through the senses, and he distinguishes between two interpretations: "ordinary nature" and a sublime “web of God.” Ordinary nature refers to the physical world, the external, what one experiences daily, including our own bodies, each other, the sky, and the weather.  

In contrast, nature in its sublime sense, has the potential to be incredibly healing if one is open to its comfort and power. The "web of God" signifies the interconnectedness of human and nature, human and the external experiences, human and God. The universality and divine spirit that permeates everything.  

For Emerson, the sublime is about acknowledging the infinite in the finite and the divine in the common.  

Perceiving a spiritual essence and meaning-making beyond the physical enables humans to achieve a higher state of present, conscious awareness and to cultivate a mystical union with the divine. As spiritual beings having a human experience, it is vital to remember that we are human beings, not human doings. Witnessing life from a place of being is the essence of making the ordinary sublime.  

A yogic practice invites us to take a sacred pause from the external and turn inward towards our own - in the words of John O’Donoghue—“inner landscape” from which we can connect to the eternal beyond the external and move towards conscious awareness and appreciation of the sublime.  

In our inner sanctuary, we can delve deeper into the mystery, moving beyond the known and closer to the divine.  

Somatic yogic practices—such as body movement, mantra, chanting, and breathwork—allow for embodiment and presence, welcoming a perspective shift from the mundane to the sublime, from passive to active existence. This transformation allows us to participate fully in our unfolding rather than sleepwalking through life. 

Emerson believed that "the invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common." By mindfully observing our embodiment, conscious movement, and breath—referred to as pneuma - in ancient philosophy, which symbolizes the soul that holds our temple together—we can then suffuse these ordinary aspects of life with the sublime.  

Practicing surrender during yoga cultivates an ability to be with and, over time, to transmute uncomfortable emotions, which can then be channeled into meaning-making, creativity, and self-discovery, thereby metamorphosing suffering into the sublime.

Being a witness and practicing surrender also contribute to embracing santosha—contentment or complete acceptance of the present moment. This fosters an ability to sense inner joy and gratitude for what is, rather than what we desire it to be—finding the miraculous in the mundane, discovering destiny beyond the distractions, and experiencing the sublime within the sublunary.

In Kundalini Yoga, engaging in both up-regulating and down-regulating nervous system kriyas helps boost energy and metabolism, induces deep relaxation, and promotes mental clarity and emotional equilibrium. From this place of neutrality, one may enter into a deeper place of surrender to the divine, becoming the pencil in the hand of the sacred. This practice allows us to live in wonder while appreciating the gift of being both the witness and the experiencer, simultaneously embodied and alive. 

In a busy, distant, polarizing society, meeting human demands can make it challenging to stay grounded and centered. But through Kundalini Yoga kriyas, especially when practiced together in community, we can more easily connect with the sublime and find that sense of embodiment. Simple actions like raising our arms, grounding our feet, or placing our hands on our hearts create a reverence toward our own aliveness and to each other, reminding us of  our companionship with the essence of the sublime both during and after class. 

We also have the chance to explore our inner selves through our breath: a sacred pause for a moment of deep inhale or a long slow softening exhale. Our mysterious breath of life is a portal to soothe, a portal to energize, while helping us connect with the sublime in our daily lives. It allows us to feel both enlivened and balanced, even in a  chaotic world. 

When we come together in a shared experience, engaging in kriyas that stimulate and calm our nervous systems can really enhance our well-being. These practices boost our energy and metabolism, promote deep relaxation, and sharpen our mental clarity and emotional equilibrium. From this place of neutrality, we enter into a deeper place of surrender to the divine, becoming instruments of the sacred, while simultaneously living in wonder. We are able to see and appreciate the gift of being both witnesses and participants in our lives, fully present and alive inside and outside our yoga practice. 

As we continue this journey, our nature begins to transform and align more closely with the rhythms of nature itself.