The Flow of Life

By Mary Boutieller As we stand at the beginning another year, we once again have the opportunity to slow down just a bit and take stock of where we’ve been and where (or how) we want to be going forward. The beginning of anything can be a time of reflection, of being fully present. Remember turning 30 or 60 and how it felt as though you were standing at yet another jumping off point in your life? Similarly, starting a new job, moving to a new location, the birth of a baby, the beginning of a new year…can fill us with anticipation, awe and maybe a little angst! And so it is as I ponder how I want to be in the coming year. Will I branch out more or keep myself closer to home until things feel a little more settled? Will I find a different way to enliven my body and my mind? Will I let in that which nourishes my soul, as I continue to let go of what’s no longer needed? Like tides and our breath and the changing seasons, we tap into the flow of Life, over and over again. I read recently that, when practicing yoga, it’s not about what pose we do, but how we do it. Imagine if we focused on how the pose felt instead of how it was supposed to look? Might we worry less about what others thought, and think more about the juicy flow of muscle and joint and breath? What if the end result of every yoga pose was a smile on our faces, no matter the pose, because we were present and listened and honored our bodies?