The Road to Something Beautiful

I was talking with a yogi the other day who mentioned they were "thinking about starting a home practice."

I LOVE THESE WORDS!

I had the opporutnity to ask a few questions about where this might be coming from and what might be getting in the way of the mat moving out of the trunk and rollled onto the floor. The responses were all of the ones that most of use...I like to get up to read the paper and have a cup of coffee, I'm in a hurrry, the kids need to have breakfast, the dog needs walked, I don't want to give up my morning run, etc. Although that is what most of say is getting in the way of the mat gettting rolled out, I think often times there could be an underlying sense of discomfort about being alone in a room, standing at the front of our mat, with the sometimes loud voice in our head, the discomfort in our bodies and the sometimes funky feeling in our hearts. I would rather tell you it's just because I like to sleep in.

When I hear someone say "I'm thinking of starting a home practice" what I hear them say is "I'm really ready to start something beautiful." Getting on the mat alone, if we stick with it, will mean we have the opportunity for all roads to lead us home to ourselves. This road may not always feel so great, maybe because our back is sore and our hamstrings tight, or maybe because we need to nurture that part of ourselves that we have neglected. The neglected part might be we have kept so busy we haven't allowed ourselves to feel what we really feel. Those feelings might include grief, anger, desire, fear or maybe even love.

This road back to our true nature doesn't have to be long and full of suffering. It just needs to be traveled with awareness and patience. This road can be like a beautiful drive through the mountains. Imagine driving in the mountains when you aren't in a hurry , you safely maneuver through the highs and lows, you have the opportunity to take in the amazing views, breathe in the crisp, fresh air and arrive safely back at home.

This month maybe we could all take the journey towards home by spending ten minutes in a room alone, on our mats. We could start by standing at the front of our mat, feeling the energy move up our legs, taking a deep breath, moving into tree pose and then resting. Start the journey gently, five or ten minutes is just as beautiful as forty five minutes...if you are thinking of starting a home practice.



Here's to the journey