Thank you, summer evening

Last week during the teacher training, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of the new information I was getting in a very short period of time. It was awesome to be so immersed in yoga, in study and in practice but I had no time to digest and sort through what I had learned before I was presented with many more deep principles. One evening as I drove home, the sun was setting but Utah valley was still very light. I was hurrying, whether from hunger or fatigue, and changed lanes quickly to get ahead of slow cars, just absorbed in myself and where I was going. Wanting to make good use of the summer temperatures, I instinctively reached over and rolled my window down. Right then, the feeling in my car changed. The warm breeze brushed my hair across my face and refreshed me more than any AC could have. The hum of the traffic reminded me that there was more going on at this moment than me thinking about what I had just learned, how long I had left to drive, or what was in the fridge at home waiting for me to eat. All of my senses perked up and suddenly I was not on a burdensome commute anymore. I was on a leisurely drive that connected me to my surroundings and made me a happier person because of it.

In that moment, I realized what yoga can be for me, for now, as I am still learning what it can become: it is helping me to increase my awareness of myself, both in body and spirit, and how what my place is in the world around me. I am finding the beauty of breath, movement, stillness, power, and relaxation, and it has been an awesome journey so far. It can keep me from feeling stuffy and wrapped up in myself, connecting me to others and something outside of me, but improving physical, mental, and emotional capabilities. Yoga will mean a lot more to me as I continue to practice and teach, but that I am content with this for now! Increased awareness of self and surroundings. Who wouldn't want that?