I hope you enjoyed Kimber’s guest blog last week, Heads Up! A Smart Phone Epidemic. She shared some solid information to bring awareness to the benefits yoga can have in a fast paced lifestyle. I can definitely relate to the experience of checking texts, posting pics, and hash tagging mid-stride. Been there… & still do that sometimes! 😉 So I’d like to continue on the theme of finding yoga in the fast lane. 

We are both living in cities now, but when Kimber and I met we were living on a pristine beach in Costa Rica surrounded by an expanse of Pacific ocean, rolling hills, small mountains, and immense jungle. It was easy to call Paradise. Absolutely beautiful. And yet, paradise was not outside the realm of obstacles. There were arguments, illnesses, break-ins, and breakdowns. We would shake our heads and joke, “Siempre algo,” which is Spanish for, “Always something.” Even in paradise!

I learned a lot about the importance of practice that year in Costa Rica. I kept a morning routine of yoga, made time for contemplative walks on the beach, and studied the handful of books I had traveled with. I realized that even though Costa Rica is an amazing place to do this sort of thing, the place wasn’t the reason I was doing it. After all, there were days and weeks when I embraced a different lifestyle, eating a lot of pizza, drinking, and staying out late for reggae dance parties. But, I always made a choice for how I used my time.

Something that really sparked up the magic of dedicating time was a daily event that almost everyone who lived or vacationed there took part in. And that was sunset. Some would be surfing or out in the water, others hanging on shore, walking, jogging, and hand-standing. But everybody seemed to be there, in one place or another, enjoying the final hour of daylight and the beautiful sun setting across the ocean.

I realized that this ritual of carving out time to watch the sunset, like a yoga practice, was a way to bring balance, find harmony, and uplift the quality in the daily fluctuations of life.

When I returned to the city, I had to remind myself many times to relax, stay open, and breath. Walking down the sidewalks, through the streets, and around the buildings I found myself with a forward tilt in my head looking down to the ground under the buildings. Just like Kimber talked about in her blog! With my arms pulled close to my body and my shoulders rounded forward I noticed the physical sensations of anxiety and discomfort. I started to miss the ocean! But then I remembered the adage “Wherever you go, there you are,” and I recalled the joke Kimber and I had. Smiling I said to myself, “Siempre algo.” (Always something).

I’ve coined a new phrase now to remember that while there’s no experience quite like living next to the ocean, and even though the city sidewalks are made of cement, streets are pavement, and buildings brick, there is “Always Movement, Everywhere.”

I challenge you this week to arrange your time a bit differently in order to enhance your life a bit more. Find choices in your schedule. Be creative with your time. Make some movement happen.

It’s liberating!

And it all begins with an intention. Dream it up. Write it down. Leave a comment and let me know!

What are your time dedications this week?