So I will not talk of resolutions, I believe that topic has been chewed down to pure bone on mass media. I will rather talk of breath and perspectives. My yoga practice gives me a chance to breathe and take a break from my busy life. This hour for yoga has quite a paradoxical effect. I am not sure if it relates to quantum physics and time space continuum with alternate realities, but it happens every time. If you are a yoga practitioner then you are familiar with a feeling: You are super busy, running around like a chicken with its head cut off, you declare yourself that you have no time for anything and somehow, in the midst of hysterical sprint sessions between your job, your family and who knows what, you drag yourself to yoga class. I don’t know how the rest happens, but magically, even though you took an hour out of your day for yoga, after your practice you are more calm and have time for everything… As if time slowed down and shifted paradigm. How does this happen? Magic?
Now that you have the right picture in your mind… my husband in front of me, walking at a light hopping pace, while I struggle to keep up with at what to me feels like a steady jog… we head out to the desert. I love the desert. You have to hike past the tree line to get that kind of view in Western Washington. In the desert your vision always takes you far out to the horizon. Joshua Park is surprisingly diverse. Elevation and vegetation changes keep the trails full of excitement. It was during a long haul with much uphill that I hit the wall. If you are a runner you know the feeling. Your legs turn into lead, every step is a weightlifting championship, you are hardly breathing and your vision is restricted to the path right under your foot… All I did for many minutes is stare at my feet shuffling what was for sure not more than a foot and a half distance of a stride with every step. My thought narrowed down to the next step, focused onto the agony of heaviness with an occasional insertion of fantasy about food. OK, so maybe not so occasional. When I hit the wall I have this habit of loudly talking out intricate menus of many favorite national dishes. I know nobody is listening, but I find comfort in visualizing a good lamb curry in the middle of the desert. It was during one of these self-deprecating fantasy sessions that Regan turned back to me and said: “Look up and take a deep breath! You are hardly breathing.” So I did, I looked up and I took a breath. All of a sudden my being shifted from the agony of my legs and the view of the dusty trail to the most breathtaking views on the horizon. I was in one of the most beautiful places in the world but did not notice it till that very minute. As my gaze soaked up all that was right front of me, my mind slowly shifted from the challenge of my muscles to the beauty that my eyes were taking in.
Thus with these thoughts in mind. I am wishing you a year full of breath and new perspectives. I am wishing you to see past your goals at the end of the trail and enjoy the journey!