Perspective in the Present

Last week I booked my flights for the next retreat I am leading.  Whenever I book flights for a retreat I always take a moment to reflect back to my first retreat 9 years ago. I was completely petrified to book the flight because it felt like a commitment I could not undo. Ironically one of the definitions of the word Retreat is to pull back, withdraw and there were so many times leading up to that first retreat that I wanted to retreat from my retreat. I was terrified. 

It struck me as I thought about this first retreat that perspective is a gift. We spend so much energy worrying about the future that we sometimes miss the powerful opportunity to reflect on how far we have come to get here in the present. The gifts of wisdom and confidence and a clearer vision of what is truly important are what I see in today when I remember back.  

Our yoga practice is the same. Take a moment to think of when you started your practice. I remember my early days as a yoga student; it was physical exercise and nothing more. With time we begin to understand the nuances of this practice in a way we didn’t at the beginning and our experience shifts to one that is not about competing but connecting, not about achieving but instead understanding.

My retreat journey is just one example of this in my life but it is a tangible one that helps me cultivate the practice of perspective. We often don’t notice our small incremental changes over time until we step back with the goal of appreciating today. When we do, we often have much to celebrate. I am hoping you take the opportunity this week, (both on the mat and off) to look back with the intention of appreciating how far you have come in the present. When we do, it connects us to understanding and offers us wisdom for the future.