I know of a spiritual teacher who has a program called the ‘Headless Way’. I love this. It’s very apt! Much of our life is lived ‘from the neck upwards’ as we fall into the habit of being driven by thinking. The mind is a powerful tool with wonderful intellectual capabilities, when focused. However, if we take a closer look, much of our thinking is not like this. It is whimsical, scattered and often not about anything we are doing in the present moment. When we first come to see and realise this, it can often be quite startling!
We realise that we are not living in the NOW, but re-living what’s happened in the past or trying to preempt or plan what might happen in the future. Living life in this way leads to anxiety and feeling like time is racing by.
One of the gifts that practicing yoga and meditation offers, is the chance to really see things as they are. And to learn different ways of relating to ourselves, especially our minds.
The body and breath, unlike the mind, is always in the NOW. It is always here, going about its business without us needing to think or interfere. Which is just as well! The heart beats, the breath moves, the eyes blink and the muscles move. Learning to tune-into the body, feeling what is going on with its energy and movements, is a very simple way to bring us into the present moment. It’s one of those vital life skills that I wish I’d learned in primary school.
If you haven’t already, try it for yourself. See if you can shift from ‘thinking’ to ‘feeling’ and notice what a difference it has. You might be surprised how such a simple shift can have such a profound impact.
