You're Almost There.... or are you?

Picture Credit: Manshopping

I've been very excited about moving to Louisville, for many reasons...one of which is that I am exploring many yoga studios and having the opportunity to take yoga classes from teachers I haven't practiced with. This is very interesting (and if you are a yoga teacher, or a teacher of any sort...you will understand) ...I tend to analyze the words the teachers are using, the sequence of poses, their cues, etc; taking tidbits with me that resonate....it can be very hard for me to leave the teaching mind and just be in the pose, the practice and out of my monkey mind and NOT JUDGE (although that is what I try to teach to my students - that's why this is a practice).

So...knowing this type A personality of mine, I took a yoga class recently where the teacher said while we were holding a very intense pose, 'You're almost there'. Immediately my mind started churning. Really? Where am I almost? Do I even know where I am going? When will I get there? How will I know I'm there?  And is being 'almost there' really where I want to be?

I like to think of life as a journey, something my practice of yoga has helped me to see and feel. There is no final destination, 'being there' is always a moving target, life is always changing, our dreams are morphing and moving as we swim through life, meet new challenges and opportunities....and yoga helps us to be In This Moment, and In The Next Moment and so on and on. Success is right now. You are already here.

Tina from Tickled Pink Woman happened to be writing about a very similar topic the day after I took this yoga class. Ironic sometimes how like-minded people are on the same wave length. She worded this concept of life as a journey in the most eloquent way:

"I keep reminding myself that joy is not found in where I end up. It is the walk, itself--the steps taken each day--that I must savor and celebrate.  The inspiring people encountered, cherished interactions, wisdom gleaned from others' experiences...how could the destination be any better than the journey itself? " 

So, I suppose my take-a-ways from the class I took:

• Remember, to let go of the monkey mind while practicing

• Be diligent about the way I word seemingly random/off the cuff comments in the classes I teach

• Appreciate the journey, this moment, right now

What is something you can do right now to appreciate your journey?