Friday, October 3, 2008

Inhale..... Exhale.....

There are some days, when I need to return to the basics of my yoga instruction: "Inhale.... Exhale...." The days when the kids are "Mom"-ing non-stop and the dog needs some extra attention. The days when the "to do" list is unending and the rest periods are short. Inhale.... Exhale...

It seems so simple. I do it unconsciously. But, that is the problem. I do it unconsciously. So, I take an intentional breath, and notice what is going on in my body. How am I breathing? Deep, full respirations, or rapid shallow ones? Where are my shoulders? Are they're settled down where they belong, or are they full of tension and I'm "wearing them as earrings".

I close my eyes and deepen the inhale, then the exhale. I settle my shoulders down my back. After a few good breaths, the urgency in the situation has subsided, and I feel some peace. If nothing else, it has given me a brief moment of stillness.

I was reminded today on the yoga mat, how important stillness is. It is essential. It is a time for me to rest, a time for recharging. It is a time to connect with God. Life tries, every day - in a thousand ways - to pull me away from it. If I am to be still, I must do it intentionally.

"Be still....", He says. "Be still and know that I am God".

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