Today during my 11am yoga class, I introduced the idea of being present in the moment. This is something that I, myself, often struggle with. We spend so much time trapped in thoughts of the past or caught up with plans for the future that we don’t realize the most important thing in this moment, is this moment. So as peaceful, relaxing music by Chuck Wild began to play in the background and the fragrant smell of incense lingered in the air, I encouraged the yogis in the room to accept my invitation to be present in that very moment, bringing awareness to each breath and each movement.
During a yoga class, or any time for that matter, it doesn’t take much for our mind to wander, leaving our bodies behind to continue on with a task or routine. Even while sitting on our yoga mats and listening to our teacher saying “stay in the present moment...”, we can be easily distracted by a noise in the environment, a friend on a neighboring mat, or a to-do list that keeps running through our minds like a news ticker at the bottom of the television screen. Remarkably, although our mind is wandering and our attention is elsewhere, we are still able to carry out whatever function we began before distraction set in. While it may at times seem beneficial, or time saving, to carry out one action while thinking about another, we are actually cheapening our life experiences. When we are not completely present, we are not able to take in all that the moment has to offer us. When we are not fully immersed in each and every moment and completely committed to every action, we deny ourselves the fullest, richest experience possible. The universe works on a give and take basis: what we put out there is what we receive and what we take we must return. If we are only giving half of ourselves at any given time, we only receive half of what the world has to offer us. In return, we are not able to give back all we have to offer to the moment. In essence, we are cheating ourselves and everyone around us.
Staying present is easier said than done. We all have a slideshow of past memories and ideas about the future playing through our mind. Fortunately we can use our bodies and our breath as tools to bring awareness to each and every moment. As we breathe, we have the opportunity to observe the breath moving in and out of our bodies, noticing how it feels and how it flows. As we move through our asanas, we are able to observe how each movement, big or small, affects our pose. Focusing our attention on our breath and our movement during our yoga practice creates an awareness that allows us to remain present in each moment. It is important to recognize that the environment will always provide distractions and there will be plenty of times when your mind begins to wander, both on and off the mat. The key is not to become frustrated with yourself, but rather be patient, and take each distraction as an opportunity to gently guide yourself back to the present moment, back to your breath, and back to your body.
At the end of class, before leading the group into shavasana, or relaxation, I encouraged them to keep their attention in the room and on their breath while they relaxed their bodies & their minds. Softly playing in the background was a song I recently came across on a fellow yogi’s blog, called Be Here Now by Ray LaMontagne. Below is a live version of this beautiful song.
At the end of class, I reminded everyone not to leave their awareness behind, but to take it with them and apply it to the rest of their day. Just as we bring our awareness to our asana practice, noticing how every movement affects our pose, we can cultivate awareness in our daily lives as well; noticing how each choice we make affects us, our community, and the world around us.
As I continue to teach the idea of awareness and being present to my students, I continue to adopt a greater awareness of my own life as well.
Yours in the present moment,
Pamela
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