hard lessons, simple truths

Isn't it amazing how life continues to present us with lessons, over and over? Learning does not end when we graduate from school. As we ignore them, these lessons only get louder (and often more obnoxious). Whether it's finding love and contentment within ourselves before seeking it in another; slowing down and living more mindfully; or treating people with greater compassion and understanding, there are lessons to be learned from every situation, in every moment.

Yoga practice "on the mat" is an ideal laboratory for study. If you're beating yourself up in a challenging pose; your ego is straining to push further, further, too far; you're sending malicious thoughts to the girl in the perfect handstand next to you -- that's not yoga. That's perpetuating the need for further lessons. So notice your mind when you practice. Notice the thoughts and emotions that surface with each pose and each breath. Keep coming back to the anchor of the present moment.

The good news: everything is impermanent! No matter how foul a mood, it is bound to pass, sooner or later. Likewise, positive feelings will inevitably fade. Having the discipline to practice yoga regularly offers the priceless gift of knowing yourself better. What are your patterns? What poses do you gravitate toward and shy away from? What lessons is the universe trying to teach you?

Of course, no lab work is useful unless it is utilized outside the lab. Breathing, stretching and strengthening body and mind on the mat naturally translates to deeper breathing and better posture in our daily lives. Most importantly, it is the calm, centered compassion that is cultivated in "proper" yoga practice that we all must strive to embody, for the highest benefit of ourselves and all beings.