Yoga Now

At this time of year, I always start to notice how there is just a little less daylight in the early evening hours. While I know full well that there is still plenty of good weather to come (September and October are usually pretty beautiful in Chicago) and that I love the fall, I can’t help but feel just a twinge of melancholy toward the end of August when it always seems like summer has flown by so quickly. Whenever I’m feeling like time is moving too fast or that the world is looking a little bleak (and goodness knows, there is a lot of bleakness right now) taking to my mat always offers a little respite. In yoga there is the concept of “pratyahara” which means withdrawing from external stimuli. And it is an important discipline of a yoga practice because it helps us to be drawn into the present moment—a place with no past, no future, just NOW. Whether we’re digging into a vigorous hour-long vinyasa flow (like tomorrow’s) or giving over to a gentle/restorative class like Thursday’s, or simply taking a few minutes to focus on the breath first thing in the morning, yoga gives us a chance to encounter that fleeting and yet powerful NOW. And it’s from there that we can then move on to reconnect with the world more fully, with clear vision, serenity, and gentleness of spirit.