Living in the Present: A Lesson From My Yoga Mat
A couple of months ago I started practicing yoga on a regular basis. There were several times during the middle of class where I would stop and sit on my yoga mat, out of breath, sweating profusely, and observe people flipping into headstands with their eyes closed (...seriously). As I started comparing my own yoga skills (or lack thereof) to everyone else’s, my focus drifted from my own pose to everyone else’s. Thoughts of “I’m going to practice harder tomorrow,” or “I should have gone to yoga yesterday,” would fill my head. Rather than leaving class feeling fulfilled, I would leave remembering only what I should have done yesterday and thinking of what I was going to do tomorrow.
One night my instructor said to us, “As humans, we are so constantly thinking about the past and dreaming about the future that we are forgetting to enjoy the now. If you want be fully present, focus on what you are doing right at this very moment, and only that.” Crazy enough, when I was able to slow my brain down and concentrate on one pose, my pose, I was able to hold it longer. I was getting better at yoga and enjoying my practice more because I was able to slow down and focus on just the present moment.
This concept can be translated to so much in life. Whether that is practicing a sport, talking to a friend, or engaging with a client, you gain so much more from the experience by focusing on that moment and embracing all parts of that moment. By giving yourself fully to what you are doing, you come out with a better understanding of the situation and a deeper appreciation for it.
I’ve been taking what I learned from yoga and applying it to my own day-to-day life. At work, my goal is to be fully present with all people I interact with. Simple things like leaving my cell phone or even my computer at my desk during meetings demonstrates that nothing else has my attention other than the conversation being had. My hope is that when clients walk away, there is a feeling the interaction was different. That their experience at Human Design was unlike any other because they felt fully engaged, fully understood, and like the most important person in the room.
Living in the present moment not only helps you experience life to the fullest, but helps you appreciate all of the other humans you come in contact with and gives you a bigger opportunity to make a difference. So, stop thinking about yesterday and wishing for tomorrow. Let’s start living in the now.
