Tomorrow is the national holiday of Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day, depending on who you talk to or what you stand for. Although Columbus may not have discovered America, as we all seemed to have learned in elementary school (because the indigenous peoples or Native Americans were already here), Christopher Columbus is still known to have been a great explorer and great explorers should be honored for their curiosity, vision and courage.
Just like Columbus and all the other European explorers of his time, we are all explorers. Each time we come to our yoga mat, we come to explore, to make inquiry and to discover ourselves. Who we are, our true self. Exploring on our mats, with our asana and our pranayama (breathwork), is an amazing first step toward the potency of living a life of exploration. We develop, through the process of quieting the chatter of the mind, a vision of who we are and, using the practice, we hold a steady effort towards that vision. Just as Columbus did when he sought a faster route to the East Indies by going West, we all have a vision in our mind and, with curiosity, we set off on our adventure of exploration each time we step on our mat. Just like it was for Columbus, our exploratory path will not always make sense or be easy. There may be challenges and setbacks, as well as advances, as we move through the churning waters. What we are doing in our exploration is looking within and getting to know who we are. When we explore, we are stepping out of our comfort zone and, with curiosity, we are moving toward a vision of who we are, with all the inherent opportunities to grow as a person. Sometimes, in that exploration, we uncover light-filled moments, sometimes darkness. Either way, we forge ahead and continue to explore, leading us to new places in our bodies, minds, and hearts as well as new discoveries and possibilities about ourselves and our potential.
I look forward to seeing you in any of our in-studio and online classes this week where you can take the plunge, exploring and discovering your breath, your thoughts, your body, your alignment, your asana, your feelings and emotions and your unlimited potential and possibilities.
With gratitude for reading my musings, Leslie
