Being Present

I've been a fan of Yoga since taking my first class back in high school. One of my best friend's father is a Yogi (male Yoga instructor) and he used to offer Yoga lessons in his home. He charged a dollar! 

Although I enjoy all of the poses in Yoga (at least the poses I've tried) my favorite has always been savasana, which translates to corpse pose. It's the time in Yoga practice when you get to reap the benefits of all the hard work you've done and you lay down attempting to clear your mind and focus only on the present.
Today, I took a meditation class. It was a 45-minute session of guided meditation with a focus on being present (living in the here and now). It was wonderful! Being present has always been tricky for me. When I've attempted to be present in the past I've felt the need to set aside time in my day to in order to do it. Today the instructor said something I found to be so clever and helpful. She told us to start the practice of being present every time we wash our hands. In other words, each time you do it throughout the day focus only on the act of washing your hands, trying not to allow your mind to wander to other things. It's perfect for amateurs like me because it allows you to practice in small increments of time and you don't have to set aside time to do it because washing your hands is something you do at least a few times each day anyway. I've extended my practice to trying to be present when I do things such as brushing my teeth, chopping vegetables, making my bed, etc... 

4 comments :

  1. I love savasana pose....it's the only reason I ever go to yoga. I am so inflexible that I actually dread yoga, so I don't go, then I get tighter....it is a horrible snowball effect that I can't stop.

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  2. Love this reminder.......when I'm feeling myself rush my kids along a walk(or any other activity where there shouldn't be any rush) I try to focus on being present....i find it helps to smile at that moment to help refocus on good peaceful thoughts to help center myself again. Tx for reminder.....this is now my goal for tomorrow to try to be present as much as possible.......at least when I'm washing my hands :)

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  3. where are you taking yoga in charlotte?

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  4. Reeve, I've taken at several places in Charlotte, including Yoga One, Laughing Buddha and most recently, the YMCA.

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