on and off the mat

to some, yoga only happens on the mat (and that's totally FINE). for me, the "real" yoga starts off the mat - as the ability of drawing in, pausing, when life is fast and the mind is running wild.

well, my mind was/is running wild. so over the past weeks I practiced yoga in different ways, off my mat (as we all do every day anyway). I started by taking the violin into my hands again. focusing on the music - settling the mind, giving it a break.

lucky me had the chance to play at the girl's school, end of year production, again. I got hours to focus on the music, enjoying the break of thoughts, regarding our move. oh, my mind just went crazy, especially in those weeks where it would still have been time to do this and that. but I am glad I chose not to go for it and totally drain myself by trying to achieve things I am not even sure I really need/want. 

next was the big part of letting go. one of the biggest challenges of the practice. my focus finally got me to let go of some objects of the girls baby years. yes, I am one of the ones who has a story to every little piece of fabric they've touched ;-)

but especially over my last weeks in Cairo, doing so many "last ones" and not carrying the camera with me all the time and simply not wanting to interrupt special moments with taking any other advice to take a picture, I focused on taking this special moments in, more than I ever did before. soaking up the feelings, the faces, the words...and now it's all there. nothing and nobody can ever take it from me.

by being so successful, on that mind focus on the special moments, the letting go of the objects came easy and does feel good.

next, the breath. how am I going to keep that short? actually, JUST BREATH, would be enough to say.

when I tell people that their most important tool to feel better is right there with them, accessible at any time and any place, they worry a lot about a special way of breathing. forget about it! focus on your breath. your body is doing it. focus the mind to follow each and every breath, for as short or long as you want. the rest comes later...

so, for me the breath focus happened/happens a lot. if I have the chance I go into child's pose and add Ujjayi breath - my favourite to deal with overflow of emotions and to get a quick energy boost!

oh, and the goal of spending all this hours on the mat - to get up, walk out of the "yoga-space" and take the peace and calm with you. staying calm and patient with me and others, especially my kids!

still, a long way to go. as much as I now realise it, there is still outbursts happening for reasons, not even worth to be mentioned.

and that is why we find our way back onto the mat for whatever type of practice over and over again. getting our body and mind ready for whatever awaits us in life off the mat!

happy living :-)