I tried a local hot yoga studio twice or so a couple of years ago. It was full of promise – young, hip owners, a reclaimed space with exposed brick and high ceilings, close to home. It all added up to a much funkier experience than we’re used to in our suburban ‘hood.

I knew that I was going to be struggling in the back for a while, but I had no idea what was in store for me. The class was filled with amazing devotees ready for some hard-core yoga. There was a small-time local celeb ready for the heat, wearing a tiny outfit that I will never be able to unsee. It was serious yoga for serious people.

Still, I was willing to be the neophyte in the back, ready to take the pity stares as part of the yogic lesson. That is, until one of the young, hip owners came over to adjust me and then informed the class, in a Valley-girl kind of nasally tone, that how we are on the mat is how we are in life. I had a sense of being nagged on the mat – not what I was going for. The peace and balance I was looking for evaporated and was replaced by irritation.

I wasn’t loving the delivery, but I knew she was saying something very important. 

How we are is how we are

How we are on the mat is how we are at our jobs, is how we are with our friends, and on and on. The amount of mindfulness and care we bring to the things in our life is pretty consistent across the board. Sure, we can pull out some fresh energy and motivation when something is new or really important to us. But for the routine daily habits of our life, we almost always bring our own mix of attention or distraction, and frustration or patience, and self-compassion or inflated demands to our routines.

To bring peace and balance to our day we can start with just about any area of our life.

Peace and Balance Start with Mindfulness

A powerful way to begin is with mindfulness. Mindfulness is about using conscious effort to shift your thoughts towards what is going on from moment to moment. It moves us away from thinking about the past or the future and toward being present to what’s happening right now. It is closely aligned with meditation, but you do not have to meditate to be mindful. The saying “Stop and smell the roses” captures the idea of mindfulness very well.

There are four main parts of mindfulness:

•     Paying attention

•     Living in the moment

•     Simplifying

•     Being aware of your breathing

Eating is as good an entry way to balance as any other.  It’s something we do every day and it’s also an activity that carries a lot of our emotional baggage for us. I’ve stopped being surprised by how engaged people by are by what they eat, when they’re eating, and who was with them. A mindful way to peace and balance in your eating is to focus your attention on gratitude. You can be grateful for the people that brought your food to the table. Or simply to the fact that you have the nourishment that you do. There are a hundred ways to bring mindfulness to your dining.

What brings a sense of gratitude to your meals?

Posted by Deirdre Walsh

Image: Adam Krowitz. Licensed under Creative Commons

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