First class of the year. Pack my yoga gear, class plan, speaker for music, incense, candle, my mat, blanket, case filled with spare mats, straps and cushions – it’s all there.
But I have a niggling feeling all day. Sure enough when I get to the studio I don’t have the key! I can’t get in, to the amusement of two elderly men sipping beer on a nearby bench and offering a running commentary. I moved my class to Woolston to make it more accessible to more people in the community, so I can’t complain about my audience, but I am also not in the mood for banter. My heart sinks.
Driving home to get the darn key, I try to observe my reactions. Frustrated – check, embarrassed – check, anxious – check! I am NOT getting involved with these reactions, I declare to myself as I drive (responsibly!) and focus on my breathing.
But this is not an auspicious start to 2019! I would love to laugh at myself, but… yeah I am not quite there. And even after I get back and into the studio (the merry drinkers are still on the bench – “we told them you were coming back with the key” they rather endearingly tell me) and we simply start class a few minutes late, with no harm done, I notice I am a little unsettled.
Life happens, but knowing this doesn’t always help. Our small minds, also called our egoic minds, do not like unpredictable change – of course! The egoic mind is busy trying to keep it all together, to create a certain image, or maintain a reputation, and to (always) be valued by others. Unplanned scenarios upset these plans and make us look not as well prepared, cool or fabulous as we had hoped, but instead rather inept, chaotic or plain stupid!
So I would love to have laughed at my oversight. In that response lies the freedom we all want, freedom from the pressure of our own thoughts and our inexhaustive, multiple agendas. Ha! I forgot the key! I can’t get in! How ridiculous! Ahhhhh! Another sweet human making a few mistakes on the way!
So this key is now a symbol for me of paying attention to the most important thing first, even if it seems obvious.
Breathe Aotearoa 