in the present

Yesterday’s yoga lesson awakened me with an AHA! moment.

Halfway through the lesson, Mr Teacher saw that some of us were tired and were not using our hands to push into the mats as much as we should. After all, we modern beings don’t spend many hours on all fours working out those biceps.

He wisely asked us to take a little break and told us his story.

When he was a young yoga practitioner, he used to keep planning ahead. He’d think of how he could last the whole hour of yoga. So he’d not extend his arms to the fullest, thinking that he was conserving strength.

But because he wasn’t doing the pose correctly, he didn’t reap the maximum benefits from the poses. Giving a halfway effort just wasn’t the same as giving it his all in the present moment.

He offered us an alternative: why not reap the most from the poses now by extending our limbs correctly? And if we were really tired later, we could just ... take a rest!

That instant, my mind was opened.

Maybe sometimes we are planning too far ahead, and not making the most of the present moments by trying to conserve our energy. It’s like we try to cut back on the ingredients, and still expect to whip up a wicked dish.

Perhaps it’s time to stop shortchanging ourselves. Give it your all, now. And watch your strong efforts blossom.

kate