Moments like this teach us that all that we really need to do is breathe. Take in every second. After all, life is just a series of breaths taken one at a time no matter where you are. So even if you are not privy to a gorgeous lakeside view like the one above, there is a sunrise and a sunset everyday that can still be enjoyed. Make time for one or the other or both, if possible and in between, take notice of your surroundings inside and out. Focus on your senses and they will remind you that enjoyment can be found in the simplest of things, even in times of upset and turmoil. Teachable moments are all around us. Even now.
How YOU choose to interpret the environment around you, regardless of the circumstance, will surely dictate your experience. So, even when it seems like you have no control over how things are going, you ALWAYS have a choice in how you perceive what is going on. In essence, your life is made up of YOUR choices.
In yoga, one of the most difficult poses is the Corpse Pose (Savasana) in which you lie perfectly still and breathe in and out through your nose as your diaphragm rises (the ‘in’ breath) and falls (the ‘out’ breath). I explain the breath because many of us breathe from our chests rather than our bellies which puts our bodies in a perpetual state of shallow breathing conducive to hyperventilating (flight or fight) versus one of calmness. Aside from using the proper breath, the other tricky part about Savasana is to keep your mind clear of past clutter and future wonder; you need to be in the present to truly achieve this still pose. Try it!
In truth, we are all students and teachers by nature and perhaps the biggest lesson for all of us is to see if we can learn to live fully in each moment. One of the easiest ways to stay present is to use our five senses to keep us grounded: the smell of our favourite coffee brewing, the face of a loved one, the taste of chocolate melting on our tongue, the sound of birds chirping outside, the warmth of the sun streaming through the window, etc. It is also okay to remind ourselves that everything is going to be all right–even if it’s not, those words carry significant weight and they can make a huge difference in how we feel at any given time. Our minds are powerful tools and we can trick them into believing whatever it is that we want.
Namaste.
Jibber Jabber with Sue 
I must do some yoga about 3-4 times a day. And each time I feel the tension melt away. I didn’t realize I was that tense, either. Namaste.
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I can finally make it down to the ground after nine months post surgery so I am very happy to partake in yoga in the proper way again. Up until now I’ve had to do it on our bed and it’s certainly not the same grounding kind of feeling. I do it twice a day, as best I can. I’ve been a yoga student for over 20 years and I hope to continue the practice for many more to come. I have learned a ton about myself through yoga as I’m sure you have. And as you say sometimes you don’t even realize how tense you are until after the practice. Cheers!
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“In truth, we are all students and teachers by nature and perhaps the biggest lesson for all of us is to see if we can learn to live fully in each moment. ” – yes!
There was a time when everyone would say, ‘I’m a student of life’ and then suddenly, everyone became teachers teaching what they knew/know, selling their crafts, webinars, working from home, etc.
But we really need to be both – hopefully we’ll return to that balance.
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I agree! Thanks for your comment.
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Hi Sue. Beautiful words on breathing and yoga (a life-changing practice which I couldn’t live without). It is so important to stay in the present and enjoy every moment. And we can certainly do that through breathing. Learning how to relax the mind is such a difficult task, but when you master it, it feels incredible.
Great post and lovely blog!
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I appreciate your kind words. I, too, could not imagine going without the practice. I’ve been at 20+ years. At the very least, we all breathe, so that is something that we can all focus on.
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