In starting the immersion, we wanted to give the participants a chance to think about why they wanted to participate and what they hoped to get out of the experience. Overwhelmingly, the responses were so similar. We all seem to be looking for peace, a calm mind, a way to quiet our restlessness. The hope seems to be that a daily yoga practice could be the start of this transformation. So, is this a realistic expectation? Can a consistent and sustained yoga practice bring more peace and clarity to our minds and our lives?
Absolutely! Everything that we do, every interaction that we have, how we spend our days, inevitably determines our tomorrows. If we learn to regularly spend time practicing asana - being fully present with our breath and learning to stay in the moment, then over time we learn to be present in our lives rather than allowing our minds to drag us here and there. If we spend time regularly sitting quietly in meditation, we learn to slow down a bit and find some space and stillness in our minds. If we spend time reading yogic texts, especially from mystics who have already travelled the path that we are interested in, we cannot help but get inspired and feel possibilities open.
When I graduated from college my mom gave me the book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss. The book promised an adventure: “Congratulations! You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!” I was stepping into unfamiliar territory (being on my own) which was scary but at the same time there was great excitement bubbling all around me. The immersion has seemed to create a lot of the same excitement. After all, we’re about to take off on a great adventure into the unknown. The journey is so thrilling; the prospect of change creates some discipline which in turn creates a bit of momentum. However, inevitably, something will happen. We will take a wrong turn, or come to a place where we feel lost, alone and confused. We may even say to ourselves that we’ve had enough adventure – that we’d rather just give up or go back to our old ways. There are always difficulties in every great quest. “But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl.” The only way to find our way home is to continue the journey.
As Dr. Seuss says “you’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So… get on your way!”
- kyra
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