We can choose to Take Our Time
My message changed mid-week this week. Sometimes the universe gives us very clear messages that we cannot ignore. This week, the first full week of school for my children and the beginning of spring baseball season for my son, felt more normal than any other over the past year. However, I am quite out of practice in my “pre COVID normal” pace and as a result by Friday, the fifth consecutive day of getting up early to make breakfasts, prepare lunch, get two kids to school at different times with the appropriate gear, musical instruments and masks, I was feeling a bit harried. So I decided to head to the studio a little early where I could sit for a few minutes of meditation to center myself before class began.
On my way to the studio I got pulled over by a police officer. I was apparently going over the speed limit but I wasn’t paying attention. A few minutes later, speeding ticket in hand I got to the studio and parked at one of the spots right in front. I dropped my last three quarters in the meter and reached into the back seat to grab my bag when I realized that I had forgotten the laptop that I needed to teach the online students. At that point (after a few choice words) I called my husband and he graciously agreed to meet me halfway for a laptop handoff. I rushed to meet him and drove as quickly as I could (not exceeding the speed limit) back to the studio. My spot in front had been taken so I quickly parked across the street without filling the meter and ran into the studio 5 minutes late for class, trying to breathe. I realized in that moment what the universe was telling me. I needed to slow down and Take My Time.
As we started class I shared the story with my students and the message to Take Your Time.
This 3 word phrase actually offers quite a bit of insight. Of course it means to slow down. However it has another, more impactful meaning as well… Take Your Time also means to be present in it, to be mindful and to appreciate the moment.
This is how we approached our practice on the mat. We used the breath to keep us present as we moved through a slow, deep flow series. We paid attention to the small details to keep us aware in the moment. We used several balance poses including various versions of Eagle to help bring both meanings together… moving both slowly and mindfully. That is what balance poses help us practice.
Off the mat, it was clear to me that I needed to Take My Time; to move more mindfully through my day, and to realize that the message from the universe was a gift. After reflecting back, I remembered more subtle messages that were coming through earlier in the week that I ignored. My body was tired and my mind cloudy but I powered through. When we are in our trance— rushing through the to-do list, we tend to miss those messages (and the joy) along the way. So thankfully the universe didn’t give up on reminding me to step out of the trance and to Take My Time.
We finished out our practice with back bending and a final outer hip stretch before coming into Savasana and as we sat together for a final moment to Take Our Time, I thanked my students for being accepting of learning my lesson right along with me this week.
After class I packed up and headed out to my car and on the windshield was a parking ticket. I guess the universe wanted to make sure I got the message with TWO tickets in the span of an hour and a half. When I saw that ticket two words popped into my head…. “Message received!” 🙂 Namaste.