I’ve just done a(nother) yoga class and had the desire to translate all my thoughts into words while hoping it still makes sense.
the teacher shared with us how she tries not to cling to negative thoughts whenever something doesn't go as planned or when a situation goes beyond her control. To simply let the thoughts pass and acknowledge their speed. To slow them down.
yoga is a practice that goes beyond our mat, with the true work unfolding in our daily lives as we strive to calm the racing mind and navigate the constant overstimulation of daily life. Just one step at a time.
and this just clicked.
maybe the reason why I love yoga so much is that it is the only time I can fully focus on just one thing at a time. To focus on my body and my breath and get out of my mind. To just focus on every inhale and every exhale. & to find stillness in my body and find stillness in my mind. Whenever I practice, I’m not thinking about the future or the past; I’m fully present on my mat.
I would be lying if I said I didn’t have those days when I don’t overanalyze every sequence and cue that the teacher gives to guide us from one pose to another or question my entire life in class because, indeed, I do.
I do have those days with a busy mind, and I just can’t get out of my head while being asked to hold for 5 breaths a downward-facing dog. But still, yoga allows me to slow down the speed of all my thoughts and that is all that matters those days.
we are so obsessed with juggling many things at the same time, it has become ridiculous. I sometimes find myself listening to a podcast and sending a text in two completely different languages and thinking about something else. And guess what? I’m not really doing any of them.
we have been brought up with multitasking playing a huge role in how we approach doing things, and that is so hard to step back from doing this. When was the last time you had breakfast without your phone near you, without music in the background, or not aiming to do something else at the same time? When was the last time you were fully present in a conversation with someone else? Or that you left your house without your headphones in your pocket?
we are so used to doing multiple things at the same time that sitting still in silence has become a real struggle and might even feel uncomfortable. We often seek to do more, yet what we truly seek is to do less - with greater intention.
take this as a sign to stop and sit still and observe and embrace this discomfort that we are always running away from.
here are some prompts to help you journal and reflect on this topic:
when was the last time you sat still in silence? how did it feel? why don’t you do it more often?
where do you find peace?
how do you listen to your body?
what helps you be present? is it some meditation music? lighting a candle? turning the airplane mode on your phone? going on a walk in nature?
and here is our go-to playlist
if you want to read more on this, here is an inspiring post: the dying art of being present
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read our other posts on yoga here:
Loved this!! I am trying to get better about just doing one thing at a time and not multitasking so I can be fully absorbed and appreciative of the task at hand
My short film, The Present Moment: A Short Film on Meditation, is out in March and explores this theme. Here's the trailer:
https://open.substack.com/pub/manageyourmindwellbeing/p/film-trailer-the-present-moment?r=4ni5kb&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false