Last night at Farm Gym my Yoga teacher opened the class with a thought, it was about how we live in the state of anticipation far too much.
She did a few exercises with us where she set a pattern of moves and then randomly changed that pattern to be something we were not expecting. It plays with your mind, because we had settled into doing the moves in a set pattern, so we had begun to anticipate the next move.
It got me thinking. We all think we know what is going to come next, then when that thing doesn’t happen our worlds turn upside down whilst we re stable ourselves into a new scenario we weren’t really ready for.
When we think about anticipation it makes us think of either being really scared or really excited about what is coming next. Our minds are always playing future prediction games and rarely do we live in our present moment. We are all so busy preparing for an unpredictable future.
So last night as we inhaled and exhaled we were tasked with actually being present in that moment and letting go of what we thought might come next. Its a challenge, but it’s so very good for us.
So today as you hurtle through your day, take a moment, close your eyes and breathe in for the count of four and hold for two, breathe out for the count of four and hold for two. Focus on your breath. Repeat for a few minutes, then open your eyes and look around you, really look, see what is right in front of you now, not what might be there in ten minutes or tomorrow or next week. Absorb your now and be truly grateful for the path that led you to this place, you are right where you are meant to be, but you ARE meant to be enjoying both the journey and the location.
Less Anticipation, more absorption of the now – you’ll be happier for it. I am.
