Recently I attended a very special yoga class. It was inspiring and uplifting. The entire class was dedicated to dying and death. This was no ordinary asana practice, but a Kundalini Yoga workshop, taught by a world-renown Master Teacher, Hari Nam Singh Khalsa. Kundalini yoga is perhaps the most metaphysical branch of the ancient practice, and Hari Nam is one of its more prolific teachers.
Hari Nam’s powerful message was that death is beautiful, moving, and, yes even uplifting, natural transition from the finite to the infinite. Hari Nam taught that realizing the limited number of breaths we have in this physical form creates a powerful impetus to ensure that each breath is as fulfilling, deep and productive as possible.
I did not truly absorb Hari Nam’s message until a motorcycle ride I took a few weeks after the workshop. To paraphrase 
J.K. Rowling, the morning of my ride was as crisp and sweet as a chilled apple. It was early and I was the only motorist on my favorite twisty country road, enjoying an exquisite trunk show of luxurious red velvets, flowing yellow silks and light green chiffons of Pennsylvania autumn. The soundtrack was supplied by the relentless whisper of the wind. I was moving at a brisk pace, but there was profound stillness within me. I had no goal in mind, no destination to get to, no one to impress and no expectation. I was not particularly happy or sad but felt completely in peace and fully alive. Each moment of my ride truly felt a like a rich, vibrant lifetime. As I rounded one of the more picturesque portions of this favorite road of mine, witnessing simple, yet luxurious and breathtaking beauty of my surroundings, I thought of the words of Yogi Bhajan, the man responsible for introducing Kundalini Yoga to the Western World and the teacher of Hari Nam Singh Khalsa:
The purpose of life is to watch and experience living. To enjoy living every moment of it. And to live in environments, which are calm, quiet, slow, sophisticated, elegant. Just to be. Whether you are naked or you have a golden robe on you, that doesn’t make any difference. The ideal purpose of your life is that you are grateful – great and full – that you are alive, and you enjoy it.
In that moment I experienced what I thought was the essence of Hari Nam teaching – becoming aware without fear, judgment or misconception that we all have but one destination, allows us to become fully present on our life’s ride. Whether on two wheels or otherwise only three things truly matter – being great, and full, and enjoying the ride.