Presence

Before I started to practice yoga I never really gave much conscious awareness to the present moment. I would be awakened from daydreaming by a nun slapping down a ruler or a coach yelling loudly. Of course I spent time in the present moment yet I never knew the difference between being in thought and being present without thought.

In high school and college I continued living without this awareness. In reflecting back I was always living in my head, reliving the past or strategizing about the future—never fully appreciating where I was. Do not get me wrong—my childhood was incredible. I just never knew that there was a difference between thinking and experiencing the present moment without analyzing with thought what was happening.

When I first started practicing yoga I would wonder what the teacher thought of me and while in class anticipate what posture was coming next. I would look around the room for entertainment. If a class did not entertain me, I would seek out another teacher or class. I would be thinking constantly during practice. This all changed one day when I started to practice Ashtanga Yoga.

Ashtanga Yoga is a series of postures. There are three reference points to creating a mind and body connection. I learned to bring my attention to the stillness in my eyes, the breath, and the awareness of my body as it remained still and as it moved. I began understanding what it meant to be present—athletes call this the zone. It is the place where everything slows down, thought drops and the appreciation for life grows.

These three reference points have grown into daily tools that I use on and off the mat to return back to the present moment awareness. Life seems to get brighter and brighter and my appreciation grows from this practice—a worthy component to being empowered.