How do we stay present when we don't feel like the time we're in is our own?
When my alarm went off at 4:50am this morning, I couldn't remember why I was being waked... I felt a little like my sleep, my dreaming was being robbed from me. So when I lumbered out to my mat - having gotten up early enough to have a practice, if even an abbreviated one - I didn't feel like it was my practice, but an obligation, a routine. The joy of my practice was taken away by my tiredness. And maybe that's ok -it's still an obligation to myself, even if it's tough sometimes. That's the challenge, isn't it, finding presence in whatever moment you're in when you need to be there and finding a little piece of stillness or connection into yourself and being able to carry that through your day, even if it doesn't "give" you exactly what you need or want.
So, how do you do that?
One way is by creating enough "safety" -so that your body and mind relax and know comfort- in your life overall, so that you can be easy in the knowledge and awareness of yourself. So that when I suggest taking ten slow breaths, you're able to take the suggestion in and make it your own. Or when any good idea comes along that helps you know peace in presence, you are open to it, you're able to learn from it. One day at a time.
Hari om tat sat.