As I resume a regular routine of practice- the autumn always seems the season where I am most prone to structure- it occurred to me this morning that, regardless the disorganization or mess surrounding me, on the mat, if I allow, it all seems to dissolve into the atmosphere.
Not having an appropriate space, or an appropriately neat and tidied space, has always provided me with a handy dandy excuse to sit around watching Oprah with a bag of Miss Vickies put off practice, often delaying it until the day just gets away from me and then it’s time for bed and I collapse into the arms of JayLenoDavidLettermanConanOBrianDailyShow a good book and off into dream land with noble yogic intentions for the next day, where FOR SURE I will tidycleanvacuumredecoraterenovate the perfect space to best enjoy my practice.
Well, current circumstances are not allowing me the luxury of indulging my procrastination need for the ideal in where I practice. Things are busy. Stressful. Uncertain. Requiring me to be in healthy form, physically, mentally, emotionally and spriritually. In order to meet the demands of life right now, it’s necessary I just ‘buck up’ on many levels and that includes not being picky about when and where I do my yoga. Because, really, if I let it, yoga could easily just get left off the list… in favour of running (out of necessity to my beloved dog); or swimming (I’m at the pool for the kids swim team anyways). The interesting fact is, where yoga requires more of me than the other activities, it is by far the most rewarding. Hence, while I may let my practice go for periods of time, it is something I’m inevitably drawn back to.
I need it.
So this morning, in the warmest room in the house that early, the schoolroom- we homeschool- I took refuge on my two foot by six foot protective strip rubber and claimed it as my sanctuary. And, surrounded by unfinished school projects, overflowing shelves, scribbled white board and messy binders, magic happened… all of the clutter and general untidiness drifted away around me. In the warm early morning darkness, with but a little firelight to guide me, I embraced the solitude and silence of my rectangular oasis and found my way from posture to posture, moment to moment. The surroundings mattered not a whit. The clutter felt miles away within moments of establishing my focus in moutain pose… with each breath, I moved further and further into pleasant retreat. By the end of sun salutations I was as good as on a white southeast asian beach.
Certainly, it could have just been the day… a bright and energetic start to a new week. But regardless, this day’s practice sort of obliterated any legitimacy in excusing myself out of practice for lack of appropriate yoga space.
