The way I see it, the mind is a landscape. Practicing yoga or meditation teaches us to explore our inner environments. Over time, we learn to negotiate the terrain: the psyche's rolling hills and shadowy corners. We learn how to find where light dapples through the trees or recognize where the footing is precarious and we might need a hand to hold, or sturdier boots. With so little certainty in our lives right now, it's important to have internal reinforcements when we need them. Finding this steadier ground is the work of mindfulness.
Our outer world changed dramatically in the spring of 2020; internally, we have been struggling to hang on ever since. I remember a conversation with a Buddhist friend in the early days of lockdown. "It's like everyone is suddenly on a meditation retreat we didn't sign up for," she joked. And we both laughed because we needed to. Sunshine through the trees.
But a retreat is a controlled environment lovingly wrapped inquietude. Lowered voices. Serene smiles. No fretting about what's for dinner. Somewhere: meditation bells. And, yes, retreats can also be challenging. But I'll take caffeine and social media withdrawal over an unrelenting plague any day.
Finding Alternate Points of Entry
This story is from the Spring 2022 edition of Yoga Journal.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Spring 2022 edition of Yoga Journal.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Learning to Hear the Voice of Self-Care
How to discern what really matters.
Inclusive Yoga for All
A Down syndrome diagnosis set this family on a path to make yoga accessible to everyone.
For the Joy of Practice
Doing yoga without attachment to the outcome can bring unexpected gifts.
Be Kind to Your Spine
Your vertebral column is a series of complex, interconnecting parts that support your every movement. Here's how to keep it safe.
A Skeptic of Chakra Balancing
The experience helped me make peace with things that can't be explained.
Are We Having Fun Yet?
Bring play back into your practice with three styles of yoga that can get you out of your head and bring a smile to your face.
12 Ways to Use Blocks You've Probably Never Tried Before
The beauty of blocks? They not only meet you where you are in your practice, they take you beyond where you ever thought you could go.
THE SCIENCE OF AWE
THOSE MOMENTS IN LIFE THAT STOP YOU IN YOUR TRACKS IN ASTONISHMENT? RESEARCH SAYS EXPERIENCING MORE OF THEM CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
What Your Doshas Say About Your Dharma
Ayurveda can explain so much more than what's out of balance.
The Future of Yoga
Yoga has been evolving for thousands of yearsfrom a mind-and-body spiritual practice to a billion-dollar "lifestyle" practice. What's next? We asked futurists, teachers, and thinkers what to expect in the next decade and beyond.
