Wherever You Go, Remember Your Yoga Mat!

A very caring person just shared they were leaving Singapore, their home of 7 years, to join a family wedding celebration in Buenos Aires, experience the world cup in Qatar, then land in Australia, to see what awaits! How fantastic an adventure! I wished her well, and then like a cosmic joke thought, “oh, and take your yoga mat!” She responded with this picture at the airport, haw-haw. (And, really, there was no question she would travel without her mat! )

(Sofia Bon Foster 2022)

“Take your yoga mat,” meant, keep your centering practice handy at all times and return inward to your Highest Wisdom daily, moment to moment. On your virtual mat you will always be right where you need to be, in just the right timing! From this very place, you have the opening and opportunity to learn and grow, as well as share your love and insights, and serve others. We all benefit! I’m overjoyed for my friend; one whom I made in my yoga teacher training excursion to Bali, recently. And yet, you could text me that you are driving to the neighboring town to enjoy “Octoberfest” and I would tell you the same thing, in your journey right now – wherever you are! The Power of Now! Not just an important sentiment, but the title of an unassuming, yet powerful book by Eckhart Tolle. Our Yoga teacher training listed this humble little book as “required reading” before coming to the month-long course, and so I dove into it again. Having been many years since the first absorption of its contents, (oh! Snickerdoodles! A decade ago!) I dusted it off and reread it, considering the previous highlights, and adding more notes in the margins.

So, what’s it getting at, … The Power of Now?

1 – You are not your thoughts, so can you explore moving through life without letting them dictate your every action – or rather “reaction?” Can you find “no mind” or the gap between thoughts? Now extend that gap. For instance, can you gaze at the picture below, without labeling, judging, or narrating - just experiencing the content - without thought?

(Bali Group shared photo 2022)

2 – Wherever you go – there you are. But if you don’t sift past the thoughts and questions that are a constant barrage between you and the present moment, it will be challenging to hear any new wisdom in approaching life for different experiences and different results. To do this, you must not identify yourself by the beliefs, emotions, and past “misunderstandings” that are generating these thoughts.

3 – Whom are you feeding? Are you feeding your wise, confident, ingenious self? Or are you feeding your pain body? So, feeding the pain-body means using everything in your life to feed the pain of past experiences, and to keep yourself stuck in the muck, and victimized since pain is inevitable as long as you are identified with your mind.

4 – If you endure, persistently, at listening past the thoughts to the brief moments of clarity, quiet, and peace, that exists as a steady undercurrent, inner current, and ocean of surroundings, you will have the opportunity to be free! Free to make a different decision, choose a new path, escape suffering, or just respond with clarity to the moment, versus being triggered and “reacting.” Tolle explains this is an unconscious act, versus “responding” consciously. (For instance, reacting with road rage, taking your anger out on the dog, or even believing what others tell you and locking yourself away in misery and depression.) Remember, you are free to know - I am me, and wonderful, I deserve to be here, to be in charge of my choices, and to be free to treat others with compassion and tenderness. You are now free of fear.

(Bali Group shared photo 2022)

5 – You realize that the deep holy, inner essence and your presence are the same.

6 – Portals to this deep holy, inner essence includes sensory awareness of being fully present in your body (this is the physical asana yoga approach, but there are others,) extending the gap between thoughts through some meditation practice, surrendering the resistance to what is, feeling the presence of the unmanifested by truly listening with presence, and by paying attention to the space or “no-thing-ness” behind all things, realizing that consciousness is what connects all.

That’s it in a nutshell (my apologies, Eckhart, for over-simplifying) and yet it is revolutionary. I recommend dusting off your copy, or buying one on Kindle, and taking a fresh look.

(Bali Group shared photo 2022)

What I love the most about this mind-shattering book, is that there are no Seven-step, 10-step, or even 12-step processes to follow. There is no distracting set of guidelines to appease our inner thought, “I should be doing something,” …instead, just understanding the same motivating principle to be fully present now, from yet another angle, another question, argument, or …wait, …what was that again? Tolle persistently, and patiently, answers most conceivable questions about how becoming present in the reality of “this moment” works, why do it, and addresses arguments of why it shouldn’t matter, or shouldn’t work, diligently, until somehow, eventually you stop thinking about it, you pause, and TRY IT! The quiet, if only briefly at first, can be startling!

(Bali Group shared photo 2022)

We can eventually come to crave that peace and quiet. Practice and persistence are all it takes, … on the journey to freedom. So, I say, “remember to take your yoga mat, wherever you go!” If you stay fully present in the moment, able to access your Inner Wisdom, the voice of Inspiration, or Creative situation organizing (not problem-solving,) then you will have access to the richness in each and EVERY moment, even Hellish ones. This reminds me of another occurrence in Bali – for yet another time!!! Awwwww, … painful personal growth. Ouch! And still, you remember what you are, … you just are, …peacefully, persistently, joyfully, eternally!

Looking through pics from that 5-week excursion in Bali, I am overjoyed to see simple moments, some that were rigorous, repetitive, enriching, challenging, delightful, and fresh in their own right. Yet strung together these humble moments created a month-long self-development course, and beautiful connections with amazing people who were willing to be vulnerable, and honest and “stop listening to their thoughts,” but hear the hearts of the people, sentient beings, and the universe around them saying: “You are loved, you are safe, you are welcome here, and you are more than enough!” Now, take up your mat and go!

Asha – Shawn 10/12/2022

(Sarah Lage 2022)