When you complain, you make yourself a victim. Leave the situation,
change the situation, or accept it. All else is madness. – Eckhart Tolle
***
In the comfort and serenity of a beloved yoga
studio nestled in the Kentucky woods, I prepare for meditation. I sit tall, let
my eyes gently and feel the presence of the breath. As I grow quiet, the once
soft layers of sound, the whisper of the wind, the song of birds, the hum of
the heater, become suddenly loud.
“There will always be noise,” the teacher says as
if reading my mind, “but you can always come home to the stillness beneath the
noise by returning to the breath.”
A week later, I repeat this piece of wisdom to a
tribe of yogis settling down to meditate in a popular downtown brewery. Away
from the tranquility of the woods, away from the quiet of the yoga studio,
right in the center of a Wednesday night in a downtown hot spot, her words take
on new significance and a sense of urgency.
Big city yoga is how I like to describe this
brewery yoga class to inquiring minds. Mat-to-mat and limited space, a
yogi must be conscious of all movements, otherwise a neighbor shall be
unintentionally hit while launching into a half-moon pose, or toes shall smack
a nose when flying up into locust. Every Wednesday night, the beer garden
transforms into a yoga space: a loyal tribe of professionals, local artists,
and college students arrive at least thirty minutes early to secure a coveted
spot. The bare floor becomes a colorful canvas of brightly patterned yoga mats.
Shoes become cubbies for car keys and cell phones. There are a few daring yogis
who drink a beer before (or during) class. This is all part of the adventure
of brewery yoga…and the noise.
The noise tonight, though, is louder than usual.
The stereo is mistakenly left on in the beer garden, so an instrumental version
of popular Christmas songs plays through meditation. The music is an additional
layer to the hisses booming occasionally from the brewing machinery, and the
rise and swell of laughter rippling out from the accompanying room where people
gather for an after-work beer.
As I project and continue on the meditation (this
is where theater training serves me tremendously: the show/yoga class must go
on!), I feel the rise of irritation. I care about these students and want a tad
bit more quiet for them. The instant I wish the moment to be different is when
I feel myself veering from my connection to center.
Another piece of wisdom from an effervescent yoga
teacher emerges and brings peace: “The ego mind is always going to want
the moment to be different, and we lose our peace by fighting the reality of
what is present. Let go the resistance. Let the moment be exactly as it.”
I surrender. I let the moment be exactly as it is –
loud, but a loudness shimmering with the vibrancy of life: people at work,
people sharing stories, people flirting, a local business thriving. I am a
quiet witness to the world, present within and present in the hustle and
bustle. Once I let the moment be as it, I feel a steadiness, a peace, and from
there, I can teach.
A few days later, I find myself thinking of
the brewery yoga class and the gift of lessons it brings right in time for the
holiday season. Finding a sense of inner peace is always easy when I am on
meditating in the serenity of a yoga studio. The real meditation occurs off the
mat. The real meditation is finding and staying connected to the peace beneath
the noise of our lives and offering our genuine presence to the moment,
whatever the moment holds.
During the holiday season, in my household, and
with such pure-hearted intention, there is a desire for the holiday to be
perfect, for everyone to be happy, and for the gatherings to go smoothly; but
the holidays can be stressful and a rollercoaster of emotion. The brewery class
prepares me to stay connected to my center as I ride the holiday rush. The
brewery noise sharpened my focus and my commitment to be present and be with
what is, and enhanced the joy and love I feel for teaching that class. The
class is my spiritual reminder to let the moment be exactly as it (glistening
with twinkle lights or tense with strained family dynamics), and let people be
exactly as they are (joyful or grouchy).
Whatever the holiday holds for you, dear reader,
and I hope it holds such joy and ease, remember in times of conflict and stress
to return to the peace beneath the chaos by coming home to the breath. To be a
presence of peace in the midst of activity and stillness is a treasured
gift for you and the ones you share this holiday season with.
Go gently and sweetly. Namaste, Loves.
