redefine divine.
My commitment to improving my yoga practice was reignited at an outdoor class on the banks of the Schuylkill River. At 6, a group of Philadelphian yogis laid out our mats and assembled ourselves on the turf. The instructor led us to set an intention, and with that I decided I wanted my mind to focus on positive relationships.
During practice my mind is quiet. My breath is controlled and purposeful. In yoga, I discover a peaceful calm that I cannot find elsewhere. Yet oftentimes life gets too loud and hectic to spare a moment to serve your psyche and your body.
That's why "making it to the mat" is one of the most important concepts to me. When the intention is there, more than likely, the action follows. Half of the battle is accomplished by simply showing up.
On this particular occasion, my mind was overactive. I had not been practicing yoga regularly the past couple of weeks as I usually do. As I transitioned from pose to pose, I became aware of the space I was occupying- I was on a mat that was 6 feet by 2 feet. I began to consider how much I feel I personally accomplish in such a small space. I considered how much I love to travel, yet, my engagement with myself on this confined mat seems to have contributed just as much to my adulthood as my past journeys throughout the world.
As I was in a low lunge, I lifted my arms and moved towards a back-bend. I looked up at the sky and noticed that there were two white clouds about to converge. They were so large that the cerulean sky was about to disappear behind them. Before the sky was consumed, I looked away.
At that moment, the rain started lightly tapping on my shoulders. I didn't seem to mind like I normally would. Instead, I shrugged and laughed. In fact, I was grateful to feel the rain. I surprised myself by feeling this way.
I related this sensation back to my intention at the beginning of practice. Positive relationships. My original intention had been to focus on my relationships with others, but by the end of practice, it became clear to me that the positive relationship I focused on is the one that I have with myself.
