I honor the place in you where the entire universe lives.

I honor the place in you that is of light, of love and of compassion. When you are inside that place in you and I am inside that place in me, we are one.

My view on spirituality has shifted since I began meditating on the meaning of this teaching. Namaste. At first, I thought that we need to respect the intention that our fellow yogis brought to their mat. But it’s more than that.

I keep imaging the test for color blindness. It’s a circular picture with various dots in different hues of yellow, orange and red. In the middle of these dots, you can see a number in various shades of green. While most people see it, those who are color-blind do not.  Just because you see the green number doesn’t mean you are seeing the “real” image. The image with no number is just as real to a colorblind individual as the one you see is to you.

We all view the world with different eyes.

Some see only the bigger picture. Yet others clue in to the fibers that color their world. The way your loved one’s lips tugs to the right when they smile. The bliss that accompanies a truly scrumptious meal. The eye-contact with a stranger that makes you feel understood.

In the same way, our views on spirituality stem from who we are as people. Shiva. Allah. Jesus Christ. Yahweh. Waheguru. God. Whatever way you identify with a higher power.

I’ve had the opportunity to not only attend two Alcoholic’s Anonymous meetings but proudly carry a lamented, credit-card-sized paper in my wallet with the 12 Steps Of A.A. on it.

Make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

The phrase that catches my eye in this step is: as we understood Him. In fact, it’s in italics on the paper in my wallet. We all see and experience life and God differently. But one is by no means better than the other. There are foundations of truth in each religion. Take, for example, honesty, loyalty, surrender and trust to name a few.

How do you view your higher power? Is it confined to the halls of a worship center? Can you catch the taste of God with every blueberry? Is He there when you pick the ripe apples from the tree to make that evening’s pie? Do you feel that connection not only on your yoga mat but in your everyday life?

The key to this teaching is to honor what that higher power, intention, spiritual practice and preference does in your life as well as those of others. And in the same way as both individuals facing a color blindness test, we recognize that all possibilities are in fact real and worthy of respect.

Namaste.

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Apprentice Editor: Kimby Maxson / Editor: Renée Picard

Photo: Dragan Milovanovic at Pixoto