On your Journey is the Joy

I found my inspiration last week in a small package…my six year old Son. He was struggling with kindergarten ending and camp starting. All of those changes; transitions were a lot for him. I realized that the milestones…the big moments….like the last day of Kindergarten; are only important because of all the days leading up to it. In other words; the journey to get there. Just like on the mat, we may achieve a new edge but all the days of practice to get there is where the Joy comes from.

So I asked my students last week to practice living in the Joy of the Journey on their mats. We reminded ourselves as we carefully crafted an Asana sequence that it wasn’t about the final pose, instead it is about mindfully and presently enjoying the whole journey. The practice was in the graceful transition from pose to pose, that is where the Joy lives.

We practiced moving back and forth between poses…from Parsvokanasana to Trikonasana to keep reminding ourselves that it was the transition…not the end pose that offered the gifts.  As we moved from Warrior Three mindfully into Tree pose, I asked my students to breathe and smile and enjoy the graceful transition.  See,  once we let go of the destination, then it allowed us to be more free to enjoy the Journey to get there.

As I worked with my Son to find some comfort and grace (as graceful as a 6 year gets) in his transition, I began to connect with some of my own. With the new puppy and some other added responsibilities I have been finding it more challenging to breathe through my own transitions off the mat. I pledged to myself last week to find my breath and set my intention towards  graceful transitions without as much focus on the destination. I reminded myself that even though there is always more on that To-Do List and always another Pose on the mat we are all blessed to wake up each day with breath in our lungs and love in our hearts. That is the Journey and that is the Joy. Namaste.