This life; This rapidly expansive, every changing, constantly evolving life. Sometimes it appears to move so quick, or gets so chaotic and things change so fast that we get swept away in the momentum of it all.
Often at the beginning of a yoga class the teacher takes a moment to allow the students to set an intention for the practice, maybe something you want to practice more of on, as well as, off the mat.
Yoga is my medicine, it is a way for me to learn more about myself. It allows me to see the way in which I choose to walk through this life and interact with all that is. It helps show me where my attention is. It brings light to my mental, emotional and physical state without judgment. Yoga allows me to step back and witness the way I’m breathing, moving and living at this moment. Yoga brings me back to my core, back to myself, back to my truth.
Recently a lot of things have happened in my life, and a lot started to shift and change quickly.
I experienced how easy it is to get swept away in it all—whether it be through social media, the norms of society or all the bits in between. In the chaos of it all my intention was totally lost—the medicinal value disappeared. Yoga all of a sudden had this strange feeling around it. Whether it was a pose, or knowing more philosophy, or how often I ought to be teaching. I caused yoga to become like so many other things in my life: school, work, etc.
I created this feeling around it of getting to the next step—of getting it done.
I realized my intention was lost.
There is absolutely no such thing as getting it done, ever, with anything.
One of my favorite quotes sums up what I definitely forgot.
“I have arrived. I am home. My destination is in each step.”
~Thich Nhat Han
Yoga and life are both beautiful continuous processes of learning and unlearning, listening and letting go, putting in the work and surrendering.
It took a lot of things to fall apart for me to see that my intention had been totally lost. Once I finally saw that, and really felt it, everything shifted, I came back to my intention.
One of my main intentions for practicing and sharing yoga is for it to be a source of connection.
A connection to the microcosm of our inner selves to the macrocosm of all that is. A connection to the universe, a connection to each other and to a connection to our authentic selves. When we check in with ourselves, when we come back to the intention, and realign with our truth, that’s when the magic happens.
For me, one of most important things right now is to continuously come back to the intention, both in yoga and life. It’s okay to get lost and be unsure, but when we do, just check in and come back to the intention.
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Editorial Apprentice: Alicia Wozniak/Editor: Travis May
Photo: Sara/flickr
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