Month: February 2019

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Where no shadow can touch

I recently went for a long walk in the woods as daylight was fading, and as I gazed into the sky I felt light enough to fly and at the same time deeply rooted.  I was fully present, welcoming each sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell that my senses encountered, and yet releasing them as easily as they arrived, remaining open and receptive to whatever the next moment held.  When the walk ended and my focus returned to conversations and tasks, echoes of that feeling of lightness remained for some time.  This is the healing beauty of mindfulness, of truly inhabiting the here and now.

Boiled down to its essence, mindfulness is about being present.  When we live in this moment now, we are not plagued with regret about past events, and we do not feel a crush of worry about the future.  Being in the here and now means that we have released our attachment to past and future and we have opened ourselves to whatever the present moment might bring.  Unfortunately, for most of us, being here now is a fleeting experience, as the distractions of daily life dangle before us like juicy carrots, stealing our attention away.  We chase after the carrots and they lead us down one rabbit hole after another, through a maze of tunnels constructed from our past conversations, relationships and traumas, our future plans and worries and what-ifs. We could spend all of our time in this maze, our attention tumbling from one thought to the next, one regret, one worry to the next. Or instead, we could harness the power of mindfulness to bring us back to the surface, breathing in fresh air, opening our eyes to the clouds and the trees and letting them return us to this moment.

When my thoughts are racing and I get lost in the maze of past and future, gazing skyward is a simple way for me to pause and reconnect with the present.  There is something about the sky that calms me, quiets the busyness within, anchors my attention in the here and now.  Perhaps it is the ever-changing nature of the sky – clouds of all shapes and sizes, endless shades of blue, birds floating in and out of view as they navigate the breeze – an apt metaphor for the impermanence of life itself.  And then there is the miraculous experience of sunrise and sunset, every single day the sky ablaze with new colours, a reminder that even in our darkest times, there is still beauty to be found.  When our path seems unclear, when challenges abound, we need something to remind us of that beauty, the beauty of possibility and change and growth that lies in each moment. 

What makes you feel fully present? What anchors your attention in the here and now and allows you to open to its possibilities? Is there something simple you can reach for when your heart feels heavy, when your mind feels scattered and your attention is scurrying through a maze of what-ifs and worries?  Mindfulness is not a cure for all that ails us, but it is a powerful tool, a wise and supportive friend that can take our hand and lead us to a place of light when we feel mired in darkness.  Though we may share a common desire to live fully in each moment, the ways in which we connect to that moment are unique.  Maybe it is the sound and rhythm of your nourishing breath that grounds you. Maybe bringing your hand to rest on your heart reconnects you to the experience of this moment. Maybe you open your ears to the sounds around you and are returned to the here and now.  Or maybe, like me, you gaze skyward: “Look, up at the sky. There is a light, a beauty up there, that no shadow can touch.” J.R.R. Tolkien

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Explore. Dream. Discover.

Supertree Grove, Singapore

In my last post I touched on the benefits of exploring new places and perspectives and, as if on cue, an article arrived in my inbox about novelty and the importance of getting out of our ruts. According to the University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, studies have shown that novelty may enhance memory and learning, it is associated with happiness and well-being, it may enhance creativity, and it can help slow down our perception of time. What more could we need to convince us!

For most, our tendency is to gravitate toward the familiar – what is safe, comfortable, known to us. We surround ourselves with familiar people, places, and things to cultivate a sense of security and to create a system of support and reassurance for when the path ahead is unclear. Some of our routines give necessary structure to our life – without them we would neglect our jobs, our responsibilities at home, our commitments to friends and family and community. However, I think it is worthwhile to examine our routines periodically and decide which ones continue to serve us, and which do not – which ones support us and help us move forward on our path, and which might be limiting our potential to grow and change.

It can be daunting to step outside our comfort zone. Yet, if we do not muster the courage to explore beyond what we know, we cannot reap the potential rewards. In A Book That Takes Its Time – An Unhurried Adventure in Creative Mindfulness, there is a wonderful graphic illustrating what lies beyond our comfort zone:

From: A Book That Takes Its Time, by Irene Smit and Astrid van der Hulst

When we look at it this way, how can we not give in to wanderlust and allow ourselves to explore the possibilities of discovery, adventure, reflection, and wisdom?

On the yogic path, we practice svadhyaya, self-study. We reflect upon who we really are – our truest self beyond ego, beyond the expectations and constructs of society. In mindfulness meditation we seek to release attachment to our preconceptions and judgments and look with a beginner’s mind at what arises moment by moment. These practices can help us to open our hearts and minds and give us the courage to explore beyond what is comfortable and known. When we take a step away from the familiar and we observe with fresh eyes what lies before us, the possibilities are endless.

What opportunities await beyond your comfort zone? Take the first step and see where it leads. Follow a new route on your evening walk. Learn a new language or skill. Play with a new pose, or an old pose in a new way, in your yoga practice. Travel to a distant land and explore a new culture. In the sage words of Mark Twain: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.“

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Renew, restore, rejuvenate

When we think of “the three Rs”, what usually comes to mind is the guiding philosophy we learned to lessen our impact on the environment: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  However, I think it’s time that we also heed another three-R refrain, one that reminds us of the importance of caring for ourselves: Renew, Restore, Rejuvenate.  It is vital to our overall well-being that we take time to replenish our reserves, refresh our perspective, and revive our senses (three more Rs!), so that we can live fully each moment from a place of balance and deep connection.

Self-care can be a very personal ritual – what nourishes one person might not have the same effect on another.  Our mindfulness practice can assist in finding what works best by helping us attune to how we feel and respond to different things.  I have previously written about noticing simple joys in your daily life – the little things that light you up inside, whether it is warm clothes from the dryer, the smell of fresh baked cookies, sinking into a hot bath after a long day.  Creating a routine around our simple joys can help us cultivate a sense of calm, contentment, and ease within, a welcome respite from any stress or anxiety that may be weighing upon us.  When we reconnect with what lights us up, what gives us joy, it brings us closer to ourselves – it brings us home.

For me, my practice has taught me that in addition to welcoming simple joys into each day, what nourishes me most deeply is to explore – a new neighbourhood, a new city, a new culture, a new perspective.  Like all of us, I have my favourite routines, things I do and places I go, and while I seek to invite a beginner’s mind to all of it, there are times when I need something truly different to renew my energy, restore my faith, and rejuvenate my soul.  What I find especially nourishing is travel – it is travel that inspires me, replenishes my inner well, and connects me to my deepest self while also connecting me to the world.  What inspires you? What ignites your inner fire? What draws you out of your comfort zone and encourages you to look with new eyes?

Yoga and meditation offer us an opportunity to play with the edges of our comfort zone.  We can challenge our balance, our strength, our focus. We can try new poses and techniques with open curiosity rather than attachment to a particular outcome.  We can use the power of our practice to explore our physical body, our mental and emotional responses, our sensory experience of each movement, each breath, and each moment.  What we learn in our practice can inform how we live our lives off the mat and cushion – it can help us open our hearts and minds to explore what lies both within and beyond our comfort zone, refreshing our perspective and renewing our connection to our deepest self and to the world around us.

The process to renew, restore, and rejuvenate is a continuous one. If we cultivate a deeper awareness of how we feel physically, mentally and spiritually, we can better provide the support we need to maintain our health and well-being.  Self-care occurs every single day. Let us embrace our simple joys and the contentment they bring.  Let us welcome new perspectives as we refresh our view of the world.  Let us pause to bask in the present moment and explore all its possibilities.