Human beings are creatures of habit. In my experience we can easily fall into our routines and go through parts of our life in a trance.
Many years ago I was living a life like most people where I had to be at the same place at the same time every morning. I had my morning ritual; the alarm went off and usually I snoozed in child’s pose, maybe a down dog or a few sun salutations on a good day! I took a shower, got myself ready, made my tea and drove off to work.
On several occasions it hit me later in the day that I had no recollection of driving to work. Scary, I was on autopilot! It was then I began taking different routes to work each day and learned the back roads and scenic routes around San Francisco. It to kept me present!
Yoga has been such a blessing in my life. It has asked of me to move my body in unexpected ways and unwind habits that have been long held in my body and prevented me from feeling completely free. It has given me clarity of vision to see things from many perspectives and has opened my mind and heart to look for the magic in each moment.
The first principle of Anusara® Yoga is ”Open to Grace”. This principle reminds me to open to the possibilities in every moment, to soften and feel all that is around and within me, to broaden my vision and look for the good, and to pause, taste and savor each experience.
After putting this principle into practice off the mat the world seems to have become Technicolor! I see things that I hadn’t noticed before, meet people I might not have otherwise met, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life more fully. After all that is what yoga is truly about, being awake and aware moment to moment.
After I wrote this last week a dear friend of mine posted this quote on Facebook. Synchronicity or what!
“Of all the creatures of Earth, only Human Beings can change their pattern. By changing the inner attitudes of their minds, human beings can change the outer aspects of their lives.” William James
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