Time Out

After a long hibernation, and perhaps with the help of Passover and Easter, don't you have a feeling of renewal? Spring is in the air, even in South Florida, where it is fresh and cool. The birds can be seen in pairs, and like the birds, people are venturing out, flying, and there is hope fluttering around.

You're not alone if you are feeling energized and shaking off the stagnation which immobilized the world.

We are constantly in a state of involvement with our own thoughts, and probably this last year more than ever. We practice yoga to still the noise in our heads, and to refresh and lubricate our joints. They are not separate entities.

If you are in pain, your mind is affected. If you are in love, your mind is involved. What if we could incorporate the actions of the body with the mind for a positive outcome? We can. But we must practice. Over and over. So the same way we practice a downward-facing dog pose for the health of our spine, our minds need to flush out stagnating thoughts.

We can do that by creating goals for ourselves. The goal could be to take a yoga class. Then you do it. Online, in person, even from a book. The body will respond, and the mind will witness the effect. And perhaps during that time the mind gets involved, but like a supportive friend that just holds space when you need to vent. Healing takes place. My goal has been to sit on the balcony, device-free, to spy on the blue jays in the morning. To take in the magnificence of the early morning canvas of a blue sky, with different clouds always in motion, just like my thoughts. My chai tastes more vibrant with the sounds and melodies of the birds.

I take time out from the challenges of my life, as my mind has the capacity to get deeply entwined in the problems of the world. And there are many. When I get upset about the injustices and horrors that happen in the world, I suffer. My body recoils. My mind chatters trying to make sense of it all, wondering what I can do to fix it all.

Then I notice the bud on my dessert rose, ready to emerge. This beautiful plant was a gift for the garden that grew at the studio. All of a sudden, all of the problems of the world, and my own problems are deafened by the beauty of this renewal that is showing me something. All I hear now are the birds, reaffirming in their own melodious way that Spring is here, and it's time to come out of hibernation. It's time to liberate the buds that have been quietly nourished.

I hope you enjoyed your holiday with your family, or pensively, and that you too, come out of emotional hibernation, and even if you are still staying home, that you can plan something for yourself that feels comforting, exciting, and true to who you are. Love and Blessings to you and your loved ones,

-Rosa Santana