Holding Space

It was early in the morning a couple of days ago, and I was making breakfast and lunch boxes. As I was preparing toast, cutting up fruit and roasting some potatoes in the oven, I was also planning out the classes in my mind and pondering the huge list of things to do in the day ahead.The usual: "almost time to go to school; hurry up, eat your breakfast" was in action… As we were leaving the house, I realized my little one had not eaten his breakfast, he had been just distracted playing or something … So I tried to keep myself together. Gave him a piece of toast with jam to eat in the car. When we arrived to our destination to my surprise, there he was, this little one with sticky red hands, red moustache and patches of red jam all over his clothes. I lost it. There I was, completely sssstresssed out, rushing to get to my yoga class, to the next thing, to the to-do list, to the next call. As a result I was missing the most important part of the day; the priority; the now; the precious gem of the instant; all teachings disappeared… puff…in a second! Being for my little one, and his sticky face, challenging me to grow, as he always does. My teacher Lady Ruth always reminds me that one´s integrity is to be fully present in the simple aspects of human behaviour. For instance, in how I respond to my child´s toast apocalypse. This time instead, I ended up screaming to him and dropping him off at his kindergarten in tears. And me, I was back in my car, in tears as well.

So I have been thinking lately about this… that which takes us from being awake, is the chatter and preferences of our mind.

When we are able to be aware and to listen carefully to our surroundings, we are connected to our truth, to the right action, to the integrity of mind and speech. We become skillful at listening and train our minds to be present to the moment. Then, wordlessness allows us to hear and to really sense the whispers of spirit, who guides us very wisely into what to do, what to say and how.

This story of the jam, is not a way I want to live my life. This is not the woman I want to BE. Not having the mental focus to offer heart space to my precious ones, this is not in alignment with what I believe in. Let me stop forgetting!

All in all, the only thing that matters at the end, is that later in life I want to remember how I held true presence for my boys. Holding space for our precious ones. This is the practice. This is where yoga gets real. I want to live my life and grow through it with joy and with so much love. I invite you to do the same. What do you want to remember later on from your life?

Ana