Today's Spring Bank Holiday here in the UK is a day set aside to celebrate the arrival of Spring. Many people tend to go out and celebrate the day or plan family get-togethers, however, I took a moment to pause.
I felt the need to take stock of my immediate environment and circumstances, to set a bit of order into my life. Taking a pause is important to check on my life to identify areas that are unbalanced and reflect in my life that could be tweaked for improvement.
There was little movement with no one in sight and I felt like I had picked the right day to pause in the woods. Observing the nature around me, with the gentle swaying of the leaves and branches, gave me aspiration of just how I want my life and my approach to life to be.
So, even though I might find myself undertaking my duties, chores, and daily nuances, I needed to evaluate if my efforts were deliberate and mindful, or if I was only going through the motions on auto-pilot.
Taking a pause is essentially a great way for me to ensure that my actions are geared towards my goals for continuous self-improvement.
My quiet time in the woods allowed me to refocus my intentions.
While doing this triangle pose, I thought about the movement itself. It's like being stuck between two narrow panes of glass, forcing me to realign my spine, carefully, to make space to breathe and not break the invisible glass. The same theory is good for me to apply to my life.
I've realised that fitting yoga or time in nature does not have to be a grand event on my agenda, as a little goes a long way.
Regardless of the actual time invested in doing the asana itself, it is most important to apply the principles of Yoga off the mat and into my everyday life.
Poses require balance, focus, some flexibility, mobility, and a sense of calmness to achieve to avoid injury and strain.
That's the same requirements needed for handling and dealing with the ups and downs of life.
Moments for a pause are a great time for moments of gratitude too, as being thankful helps to keep me in a positive frame of mind. Being in the woods where the environment is cool and calm, is a great reminder that we (I) owe it to myself to bloom and grow. To weather the storms and all conditions of life present to me.
We just have to pull ourselves together, stretch and increase our limits.
Also, remember that just as Spring presents new leaves and starts a new life in the woods/forest; so can we.
Today is a good day to turn a new leaf in our journey.
This was just a 3-minute read. Sometimes, three minutes for a pause can be powerful and all that is needed to centre our minds.
Thank you for your time 🙏
All images were taken by me; 29th May, 2023.
