The Gift of Presence

I was a lawyer when I took my first yoga class nearly 30 years ago.  It was a weekly offering at our local YMCA. I still remember the wave of fear I experienced when our teacher told us to “let go of the past, let go of the future – just be present in this moment….”

You can’t be serious!  a voice inside me protested.  My clients and bosses rely on me to remember – in precise detail – everything that has happened in their cases; they also expect me to plan our future strategies for succeeding in court.  The present is the last place I want to be stuck… I’d lose my job if I went there!

During the months that followed, I gradually learned to breathe more slowly and fully, and found I could relax my body and mind in class.  Little by little, that early fear of losing all the important information I thought I needed to “hold” in my head began to fade away.  Being present, I noticed, felt comfortable … even pleasant.  I began to understand that, not only did showing up in the moment not do me any harm, it actually was enhancing my well-being – including my ability to remember details from the past, and to successfully plan future actions.  And if that weren’t enough, I seemed to be feeling noticeably happier, too! Continue reading The Gift of Presence