I keep hearing Sharath in the back of my mind as he repeats “Yoga is 24/7”. What does that truly mean and how can we relate to this? We understand that we cannot only be good yogis on the mat and that we need to carry what we learn in yoga into our lives.  When we are happy all day and compassionate to others, does that cut it? Does that mean the yoga is working in our life? I suppose it certainly is a start.

I like being happy.  Who doesn’t ? It’s great to be in a good mood with everything going your way.    Unfortunately, happiness is a fleeting emotion and we recognize this. We take the good stuff with the challenges and disappointments. We understand that we would not be able to recognize happiness if not for sadness.   I thought about my weekend and plans that a friend was trying to make to reconnect.  I thought this would be so nice and then an hour later got another message that it was not going to work out.  It’s not like I feel nothing but I’m okay with letting it go and hoping for when it does work out.

I remember when I wanted 8 days in the week and I would be happy when (just insert any thought that pops in).  It was in the early days of practice when I was a full time working mother and a wife and took up a yoga practice.   Life was FULL which is only a nice was to say I was busy.  Being busy took me away from me however.  Being busy was just a mask to show how accomplished I was and how much I could take on. Always looking for purpose and recognition. One year I was a working mother with 4 year old twins and a new born and took up being the co-president of the preschool.  I loved the challenge and thrived on it.  I look back on this and say, “that lady was crazy”.  I forgive her as yoga did not find her yet.

Yoga ruined my life and saved me.  Yoga has taught me how to be a more balanced person.  It doesn’t matter when we come to the practice or when we find it but it will ruin the old version of you.  The version that you thought you were.  My version was the person that was run by their emotions.  I liked happy and an organized life.  When the sad and chaos struck or anything another other than happy it was not very pretty.  I see glimpses of this woman and then I come back to the lessons that yoga has been teaching me.  How to be the seer and how to let go.

Today I meditated with my dad.  Five minutes before we did some yoga poses and five minutes at the end of practice.  He had some pain so we had to go lightly on the poses and I figured he came to the studio to do some yoga so I turned to sitting and watching the breath.  We timed each meditation session and we did it!  I have to say that it was one of the best sessions yet.  He asked me again, why I do all this. All the yoga, everything yoga.  He sort of pokes fun at me and asks again why I need this.  I tell him it makes me a more balanced person. He nods and slowly he is understand or accepting.  In any event he keeps showing up on the mat and does what he can and even now the sitting quietly with the breath is not a big deal. He is seeing how this yoga can work in his life too at 77.  I’m really proud of him and all my students who put themselves out there every day to lead more balanced lives.

The quote from my Yogi Tea bag from today fits nicely, as always.