After I had taken my Yoga teacher training, and some time with the yoga practice, someone after class asked me why do I practice? Without much thought, I answered, “Fear of death”. Even caught off guard by my response, it has taken me this long, to contemplate my thoughts with regards to the answer. Most of us don’t want to talk about death. We avoid it, and some of you will move on to other more pleasant things to think about, but with the recent events of Covid going through our country, this is a worthy topic to discuss.
Don’t misunderstand me, I hope to live a long ripe age, and with the practice of yoga at my side, chances are better than most that I will. What I really think we need to ask ourselves is NOT what we are fearing, but why we aren’t living. Currently in my life, I have did a great deal of things that scare the crap out of me, running a successful business being at the top. At the end of my life, and really now, I feel at peace. If I died tomorrow, I would be at peace that I lived my life to it’s fullest, loved the hardest I could, and contributed the best that I can, using my talents the spirit gave me.
Before yoga I stood on the sidelines of my own life. Playing it safe was my motto. If you put yourself out there, you might fail, and failure in our society is such a disgrace. I have stood and faced failure, and decided to learn from it, grown from it, and use it to propel myself towards my destiny.
Most will think “geez, I just wanted to do yoga for my bad knees, or to get longer hamstrings”, and you will get that if that is your wish. But don’t you think to live at peace is greater than having open hips? To use your talents, that no one else has, to say I did it? Here is wishing you peace, today and always…….
See you on the mat,
Paula
