My studio, Sanctuary Power Yoga, is on the top floor of a 3 story building. The other day, as I walked onto the second floor, I noticed a light out in the hallway. I grabbed a new bulb & then stopped into the business on the 2nd floor to ask one of the women there for a stool to stand on so I could reach the light.
As we came out into the hall, she said "I never noticed these lights before". There are 3 light fixtures on the walls in the hall on that floor & they've been there since before I opened the studio.
It happens all the time. You drive to & from work the same way every day for years. And then suddenly you notice a tree. You've never seen it before, but it's always been there. Walking to & from the bus or the subway - same thing. A flower, a business, a lamppost...something that has always been there, but you've never seen it.
We're always so busy going somewhere. We're on our way to work or home. To the bank, the grocery store, the gym, the yoga studio. And yes, those are places that you need to go to or want to go to. But what happens on the way there? It sounds cliche, but what happens to the journey?
It may be that you're very focused on traffic & driving or biking or walking safely. But more likely, you're just off in your head somewhere. Thinking about a meeting that you had earlier in the day, or what you're going to do after you get to work, or after the gym, or after you get home. And so you spend your whole day someplace that you're not. Not noticing your surroundings. Not present for the journey. Not present.
In yoga, you're asked to be very present. To pay attention to each breath. To pay attention to each sensation in your body as it arises & dissipates. To feel the texture of the mat beneath your feet & hands. To be present on the journey on which you embark each & every time you get on your mat. In this way, you don't miss out on anything. On your mat, or off your mat. Because it's not just about noticing a light fixture, or a tree, or a beautiful sunset. It's about noticing all the little details that make up every moment of your life. And without those little details, what would your life be?
"Be happy for this moment, this moment is your life" - Omar Khayyam
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