Don't miss the moment

What I love most about summer is how much easier it is to spend time outdoors and in nature, amongst trees, and with the earth underfoot.
 
Popping outside doesn't require the right footwear, layers, waterproofs and umbrellas. And outdoor yoga is a possibility. Perhaps a few simple postures in the garden. Or more seated practices - try sitting for a moment aware of your breathing, or in meditation in the garden or on a park bench. Or try walking slowly through the trees noticing the sensations of the warm breeze and the sounds of bird song.
 
Moments like these are easily missed. But when enjoyed they bring us right back to the same place that we enjoy in our mat practice. 
 
Yoga helps us cultivate more 'presence' - more awareness of what is in our direct experience. And it helps us notice when we are getting lost in our busy thoughts again.
 
It helps us turn more fully towards our body and breath, our sensations and our surroundings. We start to let go of tension and worry and are invited to appreciate the moments of our life that are so easily overlooked. 
 
The moment you find yourself in right now might objectively benefit from being different. Perhaps your not happy about the twingey back, the red bills, or the wayward relative. I'm certainly not rushing towards the next time my son decides to yell at me and blame me for his teenage woes.
 
But my practice helps me hold in mind that this moment, for all its apparent flaws, is still a moment that in 20 years from now, I'll feel blessed to have experienced, would love to have again, and will probably find amusing. 
 
Yoga helps us fully appreciate the moments that make up our lives. Life doesn't need to get objectively better for it to feel immeasurably better. Yoga reminds us that the small stuff doesn't need to bother us, our mind can become calmer, the world can feel more peaceful, and we get to embody that peace and then radiate it towards everyone we encounter. 
 
Enjoy your summer. Yoga can help. ​