Yoga in the world

Being present in today's world is challenging.

• Alarms blaring us awake into cars rushing us to work.
• Lists controlling our every movement/impulse conveniently uploaded to the cloud and reminding us of these trivial yet urgent errands with nifty bells/sounds.
• iPhones/iPads/computers demanding our attention with the pings of the notifications from every app imaginable.
• Panic inducing messages glaring from radio/internet/TV.
• Restaurants, perfume counters, and candle stores wafting smells into the streets to draw us in to consume consume consume.
• News and ads insisting that there is a better way to be/act/exist if only we would think/buy/covet/believe.

Our senses are inundated with stimuli which may not serve us in a healthy way. And so here I am finishing week 2 of yoga teacher training at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. In this insulated environment my purpose is to learn, explore, feel, experience, and I wonder to myself:

• Is this real?
• Can this type of mindfulness exist beyond the campus of Kripalu?

People hug here...often. Strangers talk to one another and look each other in the eye. Yes many of us visiting still have have our phones/computers/distractions but often they are locked away in our room safes until necessity or desire to communicate outside of our bubble arises. Truths are shared - good ones and difficult ones - acknowledged as being heard, respected for their personal nature, and encouraged. Friendships form quickly and deeply when pretenses are stripped away, and kindred spirits seem to gravitate towards one another as though the universe placed small magnets on people's wrists to ensure they don't pass one another in the hallway without feeling a slight tug towards a friend.

There is a lot of laughter, and almost as many tears as people process, reflect, breathe, and allow themselves to transform or simply be in whatever place they are at the moment. It is magical, unnerving, and so very very real...The only expectation is that people simply be here in the moment attuned to their experience...and if you can't do that, well that's okay too.

Several of us joke that this is not the "real world". I wonder after 2 fast-paced weeks of yoga teacher training whether we will be too raw and vulnerable when we leave here, our emotions on the surface and highly sensitive to the world around us.

But is that such a bad thing?

Indulge me for a moment in the following fantasy:

• You wake up, breathe, drink a lovely glass of tea/coffee/juice/water, take time for self-care (shower, yoga, meditation, other mindful activities) and then start your day.
• You pass people on the street, smile, say hello to friend and stranger alike.
• Perhaps you notice someone needs assistance carrying something and you pause in your day to take a part of the load.
• Perhaps that person needing assistance is you, and someone notices, stops, and helps.
• You go to work at a job you love, with people who are engaged, positive, kind, creative, and happy to be there.
• Maybe you take a break in your day to engage in conversation without interruption,  actively listening to what the person has to say.
• Maybe someone initiates that type of conversation with you because they care about your thoughts and feelings. 
• When hungry you eat nourishing healthy foods, mindfully, possibly in quiet contemplation, or in the company of friends, or at a community table of strangers.
• The day ends but is not rushed, and space and time exists for activities which allow your body to move, breathe, and meditate, either with your community or in silent reflection. 
• You rest when your body needs it whether in the form of a calming activity or a beautiful night's sleep. 

Can life really be this way?

They say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, but it is my sincerest hope that what happens at Kripalu also leaves Kripalu. In this wonderful community I have learned that yoga belongs not just on the mat, but in every aspect of our lives. Breathing deeply, connecting our body with our mind, enhancing our awareness of our space and the space of those around us, employing metta (loving kindness and compassion) to ourselves and our community, are all resources which can help us to be more present in our daily lives.

​In two more short weeks, we future yoga teachers will step back into our "other lives" only this time, there will be no separation. Together we can use the tools of our yoga teacher training to shape the world to a kinder, more loving, and mindful place, similar in spirit to the community here at Kripalu. That lesson is priceless...

Wishing you peace, love and happiness wherever you are in your journey my peeps...and always, with smiles...