Live from the Present

Close your eyes. Imagine a room full of everyone in your life that you love. Breathe in their energy. Accept their support. Embrace this moment. Let yourself feel it… Now open your eyes. What did you see? Who did you see? Where were you and what were you doing?

I imagined my wedding day. It brought me back to the moment when I was walking down the aisle with my father. I felt excited, nervous and yet, at complete ease. I literally was taking steps towards the next stage in my life and I was being cheered on by my loved ones, my community. It was such an incredible day filled with such joy and it was amazing to have everyone in my life that I love all together in one room.

I have been thinking a lot about this day over the course of the past couple of months (it being wedding season and all) and each and every time I can feel myself being pulled back into the past; remembering memories of loved ones that have past and friendships that have faded, places where I have spent time growing up to even favorite hobbies and food dishes. Looking back is hard. It means things have changed. And, they have changed a lot. It’s hard not to ask myself> How do I move forward? What have I done right? What have I done wrong? What do I let go of? 

What yoga has taught me is that I don’t need to have any of these answers. There’s no right and wrong because it’s not all about ME. Situations present themselves and circumstances change. They evolve naturally. You can’t force anything. You can only learn from the past and you must always live from the present. Everyday you’re evolving yourself; defining your legacy moment to moment without even realizing it.

Instead of asking myself “what should I do?” I trust that things will happen as they are supposed to. I remind myself of my community, the individuals that support me. Like my wedding day, they are cheering me on as I take new steps in my life  as I do for them. I know these relationships are here to create further changes and shifts in my life. I just have to be open to listen and to let them happen naturally. I have to live from the present and not react from the past.

What’s keeping you in the past? What community of people can you be grateful for to move forward?