In yoga the other day, we had 15 people. The floor was full of bodies. A new woman spread her mat very close to mine. Hmph!
She flung her strap down and I kept picking it up by mistake. Her arm, with its jangly bracelets- really! jangly bracelets in yoga!- came close to my foot.
How could I pay attention to John, my leader. (Teacher? Guru?) And, besides, instead of minding my own beeswax, as we said in high school, I kept noticing how stiff she was.
How will I ever learn not to notice my neighbors? It’s a rule- don’t pay attention to what others are doing. And no one else notices me. I know, because I see them all focused on themselves, eyes closed.
If I could keep my eyes closed… And she, with the stiff arms and legs who needed yoga didn’t return to any of the Saturday classes.
Oh my, SO hard not to notice what’s going on around you during yoga — SO hard to center and be in the moment. This is truly one of my greatest life challenges, and all we hear these days is how important it is to be mindful — easier said than done!