Gratitude

After an invigorating yoga class today, I walked out into the rain feeling a sense of complete contentment. I made my way over to Whole Foods, and upon walking in, spotted a twenty dollar bill on the ground. I picked it up and took it to the concierge, unsure what exactly to do. The concierge told me that they could page me if someone came looking for it, but otherwise it's just my lucky day. I immediately started thinking about the power of gratitude, and how in the midst of the contentment and appreciation I was feeling, the universe brought me a reminder. I don't find these kinds of events to be mere coincidence or luck, because had I been in a lately all-too-familiar frenzied state of stress, I would have been moving far too quickly to notice what was right in front of me. The fact that my state of mind was that of peace allowed me to be present, looking around with consciousness of my surroundings. No one came looking for the money, and the rain calmed down a bit by the time I made my way outside. I started biking home, and as the rain picked up again, I found myself smiling as I was pedaling home, feeling grateful to the rain for showing me that not every storm brings pain.

Vriksasana

I was practicing yoga the other day, intent on letting everything but the present moment occupy my mind. A calm serenity surfaced as I moved into tree pose. It had just begun to rain, and the sound resonated with me in an elemental way. When the instructor encouraged us to close our eyes in the pose and feel how our body works to balance itself, I became conscious of the basic ease there is in achieving balance. When I shut my eyes, my feet naturally, by way of reflex, shift my weight to maintain stability on the ground. The body and mind naturally balance themselves. Forced balance is unnecessary because balance is innate. When you let go and allow the mind to be still, the body naturally gravitates toward a state of equilibrium. Balance is an intuitive response to any sense of unsteadiness. It's a transitive concept that I am grateful to have grasped. The shutting of the eyes is analogous to letting go of trying to achieve a contrived sense of perceived stability, and the pose creates a parallel between the practice of yoga and the practice of life.