Grace & Surrender Under the Big Sky – Nat Kendall

As long as I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated with the natural world. Growing up outside, amidst the towering mountains of Montana, living in alignment with the land and seasons and cradled under the big sky, foreshadowed something I would later rediscover through the practice of yoga in a BIG way – surrender. Or, in our yoga terminology – Ishvara Pranidhana. An acknowledgement that there is something so beautiful, something completely indescribable that transcends our small, human daily dramas. A knowing that we are held in a divine grace that is bigger than anything we could fathom. Something we are constantly trying to tap into.

Without fail, every time I get to make a journey back to my home state it all comes rushing back to me instantly. Whether it’s the first breath of fresh, mountain air when I step off the flight, or, the first glimpse I get of her majestic mountains when I make the drive, it always brings me right back home to a sense of surrender that everything is OK just as it is. Whatever questions and dilemmas I had concocted in my disconnect from source all of a sudden become crystal clear and I can see through it all. Montana has this power and this is one of the potent reasons I choose to host my annual Bhakti Yoga Gathering at the Feathered Pipe.

The experience of sharing this healing potency of Montana brings me joy beyond belief. Watching guests arrive from all over the world, from all different walks of life, and seeing them slowly but surely return to a state of serenity and wonder is something that I cherish deeply. Just to have a moment away from the hustle and bustle of urban life, away from cell phones and to-do lists, and away from errands and obligations is profound. And, when it’s done in the grace of Montana’s powerful, magical charm, something can shift in a BIG way. Year after year I get the privilege of seeing guests drop into a deeper sense of knowing, a place to heal, recharge and transform into healthier expressions of their own lives. The integration of yoga, plus experiencing a felt connection with the natural world create an expansive synergy for growth.

In addition to these sacred lands, our gatherings at Feathered Pipe revolve around two daily flow classes that are interwoven with meditation, Bhakti, self-reflection and steady breath. I’ve found that the Bhakti (chanting and storytelling) helps us all drop into a deeper state of receptivity to Montana’s grace. We open our hearts, our breath and our minds by creating that gesture of surrender back to a more vulnerable, real state of existence where we can set down our guard for a moment. From there, the sky is really the limit as to what we can experience. In this state of openness what is really important can finally become clear. Throughout the journey we’ll all become like a family, making friendships that will last a lifetime and beyond.