Change your life in a single moment

Guest Column:

Yoga is a relationship and relationships need consciousness. It needs presence and attention or it will wither away, just like our relationships, our gardens and our entire experience here on earth. Even though someone’s yoga practice is similar each day, their body isn’t the same each day. Their emotions certainly aren’t the same each day and their mind is going to be in a different place each day. Awareness of these differences and presence in your yoga practice is what keeps it fresh, alive and vibrant. It’s the same in your day-to-day life.

Sometimes life feels much like a Sun Salutation series—we think we know exactly what is coming next. We move through it all with little thought as if it is just automatic muscle memory. We find comfort in this. There are parts of our lives that are similar day in and day out, and it’s great to enjoy the familiarity but, it is a wee bit too easy to go on autopilot and end up in bed at night without even remembering how we got there. Thats the irony – I have a regular yoga practice that is similar each day so that I can turn off my brain and be in my body and yet the sameness of it sometimes leads me to check out and go unconscious. I let my body take over and my mind wander. My breath and body are no longer working to support each other. It’s just movement. It’s that very moment where I slip out of yoga entirely and go into something else.

This is all leading to the idea that when we are present, aware and noticing what is happening exactly in this moment, everything is actually quite sweet. It’s the second that we start making up the stories of who we think we are and what we should be rather than simply enjoying what is. Some days you won’t like what shows up and some days you will, and other days you just want to check out and hide under the covers. Keep bringing yourself back. I’ve learned to do this in my meditation practice, my yoga practice and in my life. I have no idea what’s next and I do my best not to worry about it. Aliveness comes from not knowing. Just remember, you don’t want to end up in bed with no clue as to how you got there. Enjoy and experience each moment as it arises.

Danielle Spillman is a local certified yoga teacher, health enthusiast, and writer. You can find more of her musings at www.findyourlightyoga.com.