Life On the Big Chainring

I settled into a heart opener. Bolster beneath my back, so that my sternum opened up to the sky. Let energy come in. Allow it to leave. Breathe and feel your skin stretch and expand. Then, she said it...

"It's not just about the work."

Class had been fantastic. Fallen triangles, wild things, a dancer where my favorite instructor-friend (emphasis on friend) supported me so I could reach for the full pose. I felt like a ballerina. Touching deep into my artistic side is one of the best things yoga offers me. Sometimes, maybe I do get wrapped up in the work.

But Suzanna said that, and all my preoccupations fell away.  What is life, if we aren't here to enjoy it when we can? It really isn't just about the work, the way we toil away at our life's efforts. It's about rest, too. And fun. And the love we have to give. Finally, it's about joy.

I fear it, the honest truth that sometimes on my mat and off I am too absorbed in the big picture to see the small moments in their golden glory. Can I live more awake to the lulls? To the in-between times with their abundance of goodness to offer? Rest is good. May we find joy in it, rather than guilt that we aren't doing enough. Can we let others support us so that we may reach further? Allow the light in, friends.