House Arrest on Wednesday

Whilst I have been on holidays I have noticed that my mind's tendency toward reminiscing about the past has been re-ignited. This usually happens once I free my mind from work-related thoughts, but unfortunately the focus tends to be on heartbreaking incidents from the past which my mind clings to and re-lives in an effort to change what has happened long ago. It tries to barter with the universe to see if things could change now, for the better. "I'm a good person and I only want this one thing..." "When are things going to go my way?"... that type of thing. Horrid and wasteful, but the workings of a normal mind.

Yoga teaches us not to compare what is to what could be; it teaches us that the present is the only thing that is real, therefore dwelling on the past or projecting our desires onto the future is fruitless and a waste of the perfect time that we have right now. So I know that my mind's desire to change things, improve things, to acquire things goes against my efforts to follow a yogic path.

Tomorrow I will be spending a day under house arrest of the yoga type, dedicating hours to asana practice, meditation and reading and writing about yoga. Here is the approximate schedule I will be following:

7.15 – 8.45 Active Iyengar-inspired asana practice focusing on standing poses
8.45 – 9.30 breakfast and shower
9.30 – 10.30 walking
10.30 – 12.00 meditation
12.00 – 1.30 yoga reading/writing
1.30 - 2.00 lunch
2.00 – 4.30 meditation
4.30 – 7.30 yoga reading/writing (eat snack when hungry during this time)
7.30 – 9.30 Quieter asana practice with focus on sitting twists and restorative poses
9.30 – 10.30 reading

There is nothing harsh or unpleasant about this schedule. It is not supposed to be a bootcamp. I am not getting up earlier than usual, or punishing my body with gruelling practices. Instead, I have set up a day of yoga that I am excited to participate in, that will still allow me the time and space to go inward with no distractions, and experience the stillness and presence in the moment that I seem to be lacking in my daily life. I have included several hours of yoga reading and writing, as I feel that these practices are the ones most likely to be interrupted on any given day. I have also included a walk because, well, I like walking.

Tomorrow there will be no TV, no laptop, no mobile phone. No socialising. No planning. Only yoga!