Since I began my yoga journey it has become clearer and clearer to me that connection and flow are sources of joy. This realization has had a profound effect on my life changing things for the better in surprising and wonderful ways. If you feel disconnected or without direction perhaps the tools I’ve learned can help get you back on track.
I started my 200 hour yoga teacher training at a time when the future seemed very confused and unclear. Unfortunately, this was fairly typical of my life but it was still a time of stress and fear. The teaching that particularly stood out for me during that summer intensive was letting go of end results and allowing events to unfold in their own time. In other words, to forget about the future and concentrate on today. I learned to give my best in the present moment, allowing tomorrow and all of the other days to take care of themselves.
This was incredibly freeing. I no longer had to worry about the next eight or nine steps down the line. Life stopped being a game of chess where every eventuality and move had to be planned for and worried over.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that this approach would deliver incredible results. The opportunities and experiences that have become available to me as a result of this ‘one day at a time’ approach have been astonishing and filled with joy. I can see now that I am happiest and most easeful when I am connected to source and living with the flow of life rather than against it.
Find your purpose and flow by giving your whole being to each moment as it arrives and trusting that the Universe will take care of tomorrow. Try this simple practice to develop your ability to become present:
- Sit comfortably with an upright spine.
- Notice where your body is in contact with the earth, feel grounded and safe.
- Bring your attention to your breath, noticing it moving in and out of your body easily and without effort.
- Stay with the breath, gently drawing your attention back whenever you notice that you are thinking.
Just five or ten minutes of this practice can bring a sense of presence and connection to your day.
These words from Desiderata mean a great deal to me. I hope that they will inspire you to find your light and stay there.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Wishing you joy, love and an easeful life.
Namaste,
jacquelyn
Join me at the Balanced Life Yoga Uxbridge studio on Saturday 5th February for the third workshop in our Energy Healing & Chakra Balancing series. (2 – 3.30 pm)
Join us on an evolutionary journey. This eight workshop series takes you on a journey through the chakras, the main energy centres of the human body and brings awareness, balance and harmony to each. We will combine a gentle physical yoga practice with meditation, aromatherapy, music, visualization, personal reflection and breathing techniques to encourage the free flow of energy in each chakra.
February 5th: Power Chakra – manipura, the solar plexus. Connect to your inner strength and determination. become clear on your needs and desires.
http://www.balancedlifeyoga.ca/home-pages/retreats/uxbridge-workshops/
Jacquelyn is a 500 hour RYT and Reiki Level Two practitioner. Her focus is on assisting students in finding their own connection to yoga and to themselves. Jacquelyn teaches Gentle Yoga, Flow Yoga, Beginners Yoga, Seniors Yoga, Meditation and a variety of workshops.
2 comments
Thank you. This is just what I needed to hear today. I am thinking too much of the future and not enjoying today. It is leaving me confused. I will now shift my focus to today.
Thanks, Alison. I’m so glad that this had meaning for you. Good luck on your journey.