Some of my yoga students, especially the newest members of my class, marvel at the silence they feel at then end of every class. No matter how you enter the room – stressed from a morning of work, mind whirling on current topics in your life, or feeling frazzled with running around dropping kids off and what not – after one hour of yoga, your mind is empty. You can barely even hold on to a full thought with your heightened ability to just “let it go” and relax.
This ability to quiet the mind is not easily created, especially so in our culture of juggling, being overly connected and multitasking. But, through intent focus, it can be earned and adapted into anyone’s frantic brain. In yoga we focus acutely for 60 minutes or more. As the instructor I can feel like a broken record repeating items such as “relax your shoulders, deepen your breathing, math your inhales to your exhales, abs strong, soften your face, press your feet into the mat” and the list goes on. That is so the participants remember to focus on these various important posture and breath points. With our minds working to keep track of how we breath, where our arms are, what is relaxed and what is active, etc. there is nearly zero mental space for thoughts that we came in with. Our life worries and demands must heel to the focus of our intention on our yoga practice. By the end of those 60 short minutes you have created the ability to just relax, let your thoughts go and be at peace. Just like a great workout, after an hour, you are now able to just rest, let the workout soak in, all of your physical energy has been expended. That is why yoga is proven to help issues such as ADD.
(Now bear with me here, for this analogy is not perfect.) At a conference this weekend, one of the speakers Duffy Robbins made a point that when we realize the size of God – how grand and all-powerful and on-our-side he is – the problems and challenges we face pale in comparison. Then seems so small when we focus on God. And with that it hit me – the times when I am most at peace is when I am looking at God. When I am still and know God is God, life feels quiet, manageable, and even good. Life may not seem peaceful, but my heart feels a peace. For storms may roar, but God is bigger then them and He is always and forever with me; before, now, and in the future. Focus on God this week and see if you feel the quiet of focus.
