Rushing to The Next Thing
How do I enjoy where I am right now without rushing to find an experience that feels even better?
To listen while you’re reading…
When I practice yoga at home, I have a tendency of rushing from one pose to the next. Even after over 5 years of practicing almost daily, it is challenging for me to allow myself the spaciousness of settling into a pose for more than a couple breaths. I move from one pose to the next in a single breath, finding the thrill of fluidity and falling into the next position as if it were a dance. It usually feels good in my body but never truly allows me to drop into the settling of my mind.
In a class, whether online or in person, I am able to drift my attention away from the need to know what comes next because I trust in the guidance of the teacher. When my focus does not need to plan where I am going, I am able to settle into the experience of the practice – the experience of my breath flowing in and out of my lungs, subtle adjustments of finding the depths of a pose, and the feeling of being in a moment without anticipating the next.
The earliest expressions of yoga were a series of seated postures designed to support meditation – it was a practice of being, not doing. It was not about the physical asana (or poses) – it was about the depths of meditation that could be experienced. Yoga means “to yoke” , or unite, the physical being to the infinite potential of all that is – to bring together all of the parts of the whole, returning to a state of wholeness. Could that be enlightenment? If I am trying to find it, I don’t know if I ever will in a practice that rushes from one thing to the next, completely missing the experience of the moment before me.
I notice my tendency to rush from one thing to the next in more than just my yoga practice. I find myself craving the crisp, cool air of fall during the ripe, humid summer days. As soon as I feel the tingling of my heart yearning towards another, I feel my entire being wishing that they could be closer and fully integrated into my life until we come together as one. I often find myself thinking about the breakfast I’ll cook in the morning before I take the first bite of my dinner. I journal about the things in my life, and on my calendar, that I am looking forward to – “I can’t wait for xyz.” If I can’t wait for them, then what am I doing with the things that come before? How do I find contentment and acceptance for the moments as they come, while holding that excitement for how good they can get? How do I enjoy where I am right now without rushing to find an experience that feels even better?
Orienting yourself to the present requires the courage to accept things as they are. It requires an awareness of the true nature of things – change is inevitable, there is nothing fixed in this reality, the moments you are looking forward to will come (in time, maybe not as quickly as you’d hope), the goodness of an experience is not held within that moment, person, place; it is always held within you. You can experience the good of what you are rushing towards at any moment.
I believe it is possible to see the potential of an experience without holding onto the need to have it as quickly as possible. There is value in this moment – in the space between the things you want and the things you have. Just as every breath and posture in a yoga class is necessary to prepare your mind and body for the peak of the class, every moment has a purpose. Each breath, in and off the mat, is one breath closer to your last. Will you rush to reach the end, or will you finally remember that the journey is more important than the constant pursuit of more? What if things were enough as they are? What if you were enough as you are, right now in this very breath?
Put all of the things you have been worrying about, ruminating over, and wishing were different away for a few minutes and reflect on the things in this moment that you are grateful for. Instead of always focusing on what you want to change in your life, what do you hope stays the same?
When do you tend to rush to the next thing? When do you find yourself holding onto something in the future bringing you the ~good feelings~ you are craving?
What practices, activities, or people take you out of your mind and back back into the expereince of the moment in front of you?
Did you know I am a meditation teacher? I haven’t taught for a while but I really enjoy practicing everyday and wanted to share that practice with you. Listen below for a ten minute medi to help you orient into this moment and find a moment of presence before you move forward in your day 🕊️
I don’t practice yoga regularly in a studio anymore but I, thankfully, have two great online resources for top notch classes that I use nearly everyday.
My friend (and favorite yoga teacher), Michal, recently launched her platform The MVMNT Habit. She has an online platform and also free classes on Youtube if you want a taste of her teaching style.
One of my favorite yoga studios is SkyTing and they have a really great online platform with livestream and on-demand classes. I’ve been practicing at home with SkyTing TV since 2020, so you know it’s good.
This read from
felt like a breath of fresh air
I’m starting a second newsletter. Well, I started it over a year ago and only published two times. I forgot about it for a while until a sudden burst of inspiration last week. It feels fun to work on something other than The Process – I’m working on a Greenpoint Guide, a list of everything that keeps me satiated, and more. If The Process explores my inner world, Satiated explore my external world and how I actively live a life that feels really fucking good to me. Subscribe if you feel so inclined 🌶️
My friends, Emily and Jacey, are hosting a Mindful Yoga, Journaling & Community Breakfast in Williamsburg on Sunday August 11th at 8:30AM. They are two of my favorite people and facilitate the most beautiful containers for connection and self discovery. I’ll be out of town but hope you can make it so you can let me know how it is!
