...And Inhale

Right after publishing Introducing Guys to Yoga, I found a video (at Piggy Postings) that exemplified Rule #10, What to Eat (or Not Eat).

*Language Warning*

There's a lot more to this video than a good fart joke.  In a lot of "gym yoga" classes, they won't necessarily talk about having you set your intention for the class and tuning in.  In "studio yoga" classes, where they usually do have you set intention and tune in, a lot of emphasis is placed on keeping your mind clear and being mindful of the present moment.  

If you don't, you end up focusing on things like the attractive yogini in front of you, which results in you being the token "The Eye".  That's not a compliment.

Example of The Eye

It is very important that you remain present in the current moment.  If you do not remain present, you end up whiling away away your days thinking about what else you want to do later instead of enjoying the beauty of now.  It's a very difficult thing to do on a consistent basis, especially when we have so many times in our day when we can just "check out" and go on auto pilot.  Those moments sitting in traffic on the way to work are a great opportunity to allow your mind to wander off to some other time or place and not enjoy the sights while you are in the midst of so much humanity.  Yes, remembering good memories and planning for tonight's dinner are important, but we should all strive to consciously direct our thoughts there, rather than allow our mind to wander off on it's own, unattended.

Over the past several months, I have been trying very hard to stay present throughout the day.  Whether it be walking from the parking garage to my desk or refilling my water bottle,  I try to keep an eye out for the beauty of the day (and was recently able to watch a rabbit hop around a few crepe myrtles that no one else seemed to see).  I will tell you that it's exhausting.  It's WAY easier to just check out and drift away rather than to look around, observe, feel, and take in everything that's around me.  The benefits are worth it, and hopefully you won't rip one in yoga class.