Remarkable things can occur when we have a daily spiritual practice and then surrender to the Divine to watch the magic unfold. Spring of 2020 has been unusually transformative in ways that all of us can probably agree have been like nothing we have ever seen before. This once in lifetime generational shift has almost everyone on the planet facing a new reality.
Adi and I, of course, are no different. When we started the year, our intentions were to begin shooting Season 2 of Yes, And Yoga on location in Costa Rica. We planned to have a combination yoga retreat/production of Season 2 with a slew of new guest slated to join us on location. Then, mere months into 2020 everything changed (there is no need to rehash what has transpired over the last few months because we have all been inundated daily with updates about the world’s current state of affairs). Season 2 was postponed, beach retreat cancelled, and Costa Rica would be saved for another time.
Adi and I accepted the fact that we were most likely never going to shoot Season 2. It seemed unlikely we would be able to get guests to join us to do the show not to mention getting a crew together to make the production happen. We told ourselves that this was most likely just a “one-off” that wouldn’t return.
Enter, our daily practice. We kept waking each morning to do our morning Sadhana (learn about Sadhana here) and then we surrendered fully to whatever God intended to bring us. We mentioned to each other daily, “We’ll know what to do when the time is right.”
This is where “magic” happened. By “magic” I mean Magic Production Group headed by Massoum Mirzaei. Massoum is no stranger to facing challenges head-on by taking potentially impossible situations and making them possible (this is essence of improv comedy by the way, taking those happy little accidents and turning them into life’s gold). He immigrated to the United States from Iran in the late 70s around the time of the Iranian Revolution as a 17-year old and he created a media business from the ground up. We became dear friends almost two decades ago and have shared a similar philosophy about life: When life gives you lemons, why settle for lemonade—let’s make lemon méringue pie (if you don’t like lemon méringue insert your own metaphor here)!
Around mid-June Massoum and I were talking, and he casually said to me, “Do you still have that recipe for lemon méringue pie?”
“I always keep it handy,” I responded.
“I have an idea. Wonder if we scrap the idea for guests on Season 2 and get a small crew together and shoot a retooled version of Yes, And Yoga?”
“When do you have in mind?”
Massoum, ever the optimist, responded, “How about next week?”
I’m not always sure how God works but one thing I know for certain; when we surrender and truly let go the Divine has a way of manifesting things that seem so outrageous that it almost seems comical.
Incidentally, Massoum’s call came on Summer Solstice. For those who may not be aware, Summer Solstice is an especially potent time of the year. The solstice – where the rise and setting of the sun appears to stop and reverse direction creating the longest day of sunlight hours. Once this occurs, we approach the second half of the year and the Winter Solstice.
The interpretation of the Summer Solstice varies among cultures. These celebrations, festivals, and rituals often revolve around fire and fertility. Fire is used as an important symbol of the sun’s energy, power, and radiance and the flames of the fire are a catalyst for change and transformation that allow for purification. It is associated with willpower, courage, and strength. Fire can represent our spark of imagination, the burning of passion, and desire which can be generated within you and inspire your actions during Summer Solstice.
Solstice is the perfect opportunity to take time to stop and reflect, align ourselves with nature, and set intentions for the remainder of the year. This auspicious and fruitful time of the year allows us to take stock and re-sharpen our focus by nurturing our intentions and developing those aspects of our lives that need attention.
The serendipity of my friend’s call was not lost on Adi and me. His timing could not have been more prescient. When I told Adi about my call, she didn’t miss a beat:
“You realize this came on Summer Solstice. This is a sign!” she said excitedly.
It didn’t take much to convince me that Adi was right. This was a sign that we should revisit Season Two and we knew in our hearts that there was only one way to answer Massoum’s question about shooting Season Two next week: In true “Yes, And” fashion we said:
“Yes, and we will bring the Yogi Tea!”
Next week for Adi and me was yesterday. We arrived at Magic Studios around 7 am to begin filming Season 2. We shot the entire season in one day, without guests and with the smallest of crews (including Adi and me we had five people on the set). The show is going to look differently this year just like this entire year has looked differently around the world.
I was so incredibly proud of Adi. She put all of the material together and I essentially showed up to do my little part. She has grown so much in the last few years. When we met more than five years ago, she would have been terrified by the idea of ever undertaking a project like this. Honestly, she wouldn’t have even considered it. Yesterday, she shined. She shared her passion for this Divine Practice and when we completed the day, she was on Cloud Nine. She is so excited by this season! For my part, I came home and was in bed at 6:30 pm (yes, you read that correctly).
I’m proud of her. I am proud of what she has become. I told her that if even one person is inspired to start a practice every bit of this journey is worth it. And this is why we practice—because when we do the “magic” arrives. Our “magic” just happens to have a name. We call him Massoum.
