Recently I came across a quote that stayed with me, and I knew I had to share it. Gloria Steinem asked how much of the world she had missed while living in her head, and, if each cell in our bodies is an outpost of the brain, what she might have learned.
How much of the time are we living in our heads, thinking about what may or may not happen in the future, or reliving what is already over and done? How much of the time are our minds and bodies in different places? When we are not inhabiting our bodies, when we are disengaged from the present moment, what could we be missing? What could we have learned?
Mind and body, together
Through yoga, the mind and body unite in the task of asana practice. We learn to inhabit our bodies, to become acutely aware of what we are experiencing: to be here, now, awake, aware and alive. We become ready to experience the wonders of our world and of one another.
On the mat, we practice paying attention to the details (and if you’ve been in my class, you know this is true!). This can help us off the mat, so that not a single moment is wasted in unawareness.
A noticing meditation
Here is a little practice I try to do each day. You can call it a noticing meditation.
- When I leave the house in the morning, instead of just getting into the car and going, I stand outside for a moment.
- I find tadasana, mountain pose. I root my feet into the ground and imagine the earth’s energy rising up to firm my legs. I stand tall and become part of the sky.
- Then the noticing continues. What is the temperature of the air on my skin? Is there a breeze today, or stillness?
- I listen. Each bird makes a unique sound. I hear the sounds of my neighborhood.
- I really see the trees, each beautiful in its own way.
- I take in the scents of the season, and sometimes my neighbor’s cooking as well!
Sometimes it takes just a few minutes. Then I am ready to be on my way and start my day, hopefully staying in this noticing mode.
What we won’t miss
When we are not caught up in our thoughts, when we are not living in our heads, we can live in the present moment, in our world. What we won’t miss is the beauty all around us. When we are really here, right now, we can learn that the beauty is within us and within everyone we meet. We can notice and learn who we truly are: this divine inner light of awareness. Loving, kind, peaceful and joyful.
Namaste, Lauren
