“When we acknowledge that all of life is sacred and that each act is an act of choice and therefore sacred, then life is a sacred dance lived consciously each moment. When we live at this level, we participate in the creation of a better world.” ~~ Scout Cloud Lee
Photo Courtesy of Inside the Junk Drawer
Ever since I started teaching yoga, I’ve always loved the variety of people who come to my classes. Some of you have been on your yoga journey for quite some time, while some are just beginning. Some are working through injuries or illnesses, while others are extremely athletic and are just coming for a good workout.
One of the things I love best is when students let me know where they are with their practice. It makes my day to hear how yoga is helping, as knowing your experiences helps me to provide you with the classes that will serve you best.
Take a moment to ask yourself where you are in your practice right now. Where are you on your journey? The wonderful thing about yoga is that it is a JOURNEY, not a DESTINATION. I think that’s why I’ve stuck with it myself for so long…every time I reach one goal, I always have another to work towards. It keeps me coming back to my mat time and time again, and it’s so amazing to be able to look back at my practice over the years and see how I’ve evolved. And it’s also amazing to see how my “on the mat” practice has spilled into my life “off the mat.”
Don’t worry if you ask yourself where you are and you don’t know how to answer. Don’t freak out. It’s normal. Many times, we fill our lives with so much STUFF that we sort of function on auto-pilot and just go through the motions of whatever we’re doing. We may show up to class, and do all the things the instructor tells us to do, but we do it with no thought to the journey we’re on because we don’t even know where we want to go. Have you ever come home from a yoga class and your body feels tired and relaxed, but you can’t remember what you did to feel that way?
I love the quote by Scout Cloud Lee above, because I’ve rediscovered myself lately that life truly is a sacred dance lived consciously each moment. If we stay on auto-pilot for too long, life just passes us by. Gosh, I’ve been on auto-pilot for so long now, it’s ridiculous! Always thinking about things from my past and wishing I could change them, or worrying about what’s going to happen with my health or my family or my finances. When we focus too much on the past, that’s a recipe for depression to set in. When we focus too much on the future, that’s when anxiety takes over. Both of which are HORRIBLE for our physical and mental health. And really, when it comes down to it, we can’t get the past back, and we can’t control the future, no matter how much we think we can.
But we CAN live in the present moment. I saw a great post on Manduka’s Facebook page today about practicing participation, and it’s what inspired this particular blog post. Basically, we can choose to show up, fully. We can choose to be in it, deeply. We can choose not to just follow the path, but to shape it, and take diligent field notes along the way. When we can live consciously in each moment in this way, THEN we have a wonderful story to share with others. One that is meaningful and that will touch everyone around us. And THAT is how we can be part of making the world a better place.
Be patient with yourself if it doesn’t happen immediately. But make that choice. Make that choice to fully participate in your life NOW. Not your PAST life. Not your FUTURE life. You won’t regret it.
Namaste,
Melanie
SC Yoga Girl 