I’m Keeping Track of Time…
Dear Friends,
One of the things that I say in almost every class as we head into savasana is: “Rest here. I’m keeping track of time, and I’ll let you know when it’s time to move again.” Why do I say that? Because my students and I have an unspoken agreement that I’ll end our class on time. I want you to be able to relax completely in savasana, knowing that you’ll be ready for the rest of your day when the class is over. No rushing, no hurrying, no feeling like you’re late.
That rest at the end of our practice is the most important part of what we do in class. We spend the entire class working towards that pose. We start with awareness, we turn our attention to the breath, we stretch, and we move. We breathe – we might take 3, 4, or 5 breaths in a pose. We might even add a count to the inhales and exhales, but we don’t rush between the poses.
This week in our classes, we will luxuriate in the time. No hurry. No need to feel rushed. We’ll do everything we need to and then we’ll rest and let all of the good stuff become a part of us. Once all of that is integrated, and when my timepiece says it’s time, we’ll make that transition from our yoga mats to the rest of our day.
There’s a ‘self-service’ sundial in the park behind my house (see photo above). If I stand on the appropriate tile on a sunny day, I can see what time it is (more or less). I took this photo with the camera on my phone on Friday morning. According to the sundial, it was approximately 9 am. Kinda cool.
When I downloaded the photo to add it to this newsletter, the information about the photo told me that it was taken at 9:05 am. The clock in my phone/camera was more precise. It offered more information, but told me the same thing. It was approximately 9 am.
There are times when we need to know the accuracy of the time to the nearest fraction of a second (think Olympic time trials). I’m thankful that we have the tools to do that. I use an accurate time device when I’m teaching class so that I can start and end class on time.
There are many other times when using a sundial serves us just fine.
Those are the times when I’m not rushing on my yoga mat.
Please join me.
Love,
Nina G