Inside Yoga 77 (20/5/2013)
“Are you stressed? Are you so busy getting to the future that the present is reduced to a means of getting there? Stress is caused by being “here” but wanting to be “there”, or being in the present but wanting to be in the future. It’s a split that tears you apart inside. To create and live with such an inner split is insane.” Ekhart Tolle.
Trying put our finger on what is wrong with our life, or in a more subtle sense, trying to work how our otherwise marginally satisfactory life could be improved, can feel difficult and almost impossible. When I read Ekhart Tolle’s book, The Power of Now, where this quote comes from, I came across a writer who has not only grasped these tricky conundrums of life but someone who knows how to communicate in a clear manner these complex and abstract ideas about being present in the here and now.
We can see that our lives are consumed by needing to get to the next stage rarely noticing the present stage let alone getting the best from it and enjoying it. Take for example, a yoga posture. It is a simple action, simply asking the body, mind and breath to link up in position and holding it for a moment or two. How often do we find that even though our limbs and body might be in position our mind is rushing forward, anticipating the end of the posture and the next stage, so therefore not getting the best from the actual yoga asana we are holding. This is especially true in a group class led by a teacher, because we can so easily find ourselves waiting for the teacher’s instruction to come out of the position and therefore losing our awareness of what we are actually doing. I pointed out this during my classes last week and made light of it, because on one level we need to be light with ourselves by noticing our tendencies and smiling at them, while on a more serious note, we need to see that this habit while in a yoga class indicates a tendency we might have in a our daily life. And perhaps we can learn from this and make changes to way we approach life.
If we are always rushing to the next step, continuously jumping to the next moment, and missing the present, we are wasting the potential offered to us by being in the present.
For example, at work a distracted mind, and body, which spends much of the time waiting for the end of the day will not be doing the job as well as can be. Obvious as this sounds we still keep forgetting this and indulging our mind and its urge to go to the next step.
Another example is a country walk which many of us enjoy. Yet how many of us spend most of the stroll lost in thought, possibly about work and what we must get done when back at work the following week, or perhaps we are caught up with thoughts about our family. It goes on and on. A never ending list of things to be done, but one we keep coming back to even when we cannot do anything about it – especially on a walk in the country. There is of course a moment when we remember something important, make a note to do something or work a problem out while walking – because that is what a walk can do. What do we do though when we have had this light bulb moment? We often keep thinking about it. In this case, it is good idea to make a note, a mental note or write it down, and then go back to being in the countryside. The advice is simple, when on a walk surrounded by beautiful countryside, or a park, pause every so often both physically and mentally to take in your surroundings. Breathe in the air, listen to the quietness (if it is quiet) and enjoy where you are – just for the moment. That’s all we need to do, but remembering to do this is the point.
This can be applied to everything we do in life. Using the example of a country walk is just one example. Apply this pause at every opportunity and see how much you notice, observe how you are at that moment and see what is around you. It can be very revealing and refreshing. As Tolle points out, see if you can be “here”.
Hard as it might seem, this can be done in a busy shopping mall or a train station. Simply pause and watch what is going on around you. Notice how busy people are around you, while you hold still – an island of stillness in the rough seas of busy lives. Being able to remain still, calm and present in a busy environment is a good skill to develop. Explore for yourself.
