Are you genuinely happy? Ask yourself. It’s an important question to pose any time, any season. It seems somehow especially, though not more, poignant to ask it around the holidays, at the start of a new year when change or goals or plans might be welcome, may be necessary, are likely intimidating yet undoubtedly (or at least hopefully) beneficial.
Look around. Everyone just seems so stressed out right now. I feel for them as they walk about hurriedly, worrying about baking the cookies, finding the perfect gift, wrapping all of them in time, putting final touches on the decorations, not forgetting to water the tree multiple times a day and thereby killing it before the big moment arrives, cleaning up the dead, dropped evergreen needles and dusting the entire house before droves of people come by for some holiday cheer. It all just seems so crazy. Don’t get me wrong, I get it, but it’s crazy, when really, obviously, this is a time for thankfulness, a time to assess what’s working, what’s not and make some changes if the answer to the question is…mmm, not so much.
Last week, a friend of mine was having a conversation about me with another mutual friend. The mutual friend said, “So, what’s up with Aubrey. She seems so happy.” Not an accusing question, an inquisitive one. And my other friend’s response was, “She is.” Definitively, yes. This anecdote surprised me a bit when it was relayed to me in casual conversation: I’m pleased that my happiness is apparent and can be claimed with conviction, and seemingly not only by me. And I don’t think it’s because I’m walking around professing my happiness every day. Just like anything: humility is a quality we should all try to achieve consistently. But I am actually pretty darn happy. And sincerely so. I’m glad it shows.
Of course, everything is not perfect. I want for some things. But, honestly, those things I desire, they’re not material. This happiness is not necessarily wholly and completely owed to yoga, but my practice is a great contributor. The love that you show yourself in a committed practice, and the love that grows in your heart from a committed practice, it’s pretty special. Surely, lots of people find this feeling in many different things. For some it may be raising kids, teaching them skills to be kind and generous individuals, for others a committed, mutual, respectful relationship. For me, today, right now, it is yoga.
There’s this simple thing that’s been happening to me in yoga for quite some time, and I appreciate its occasional but unpredictable appearance as much as I do sinking into a pose deeply or shedding a tear during final Savasana CORPSE POSE. It is this: a quiet smile slowly sneaks onto my face while I pause in Samasthiti EQUAL STANDING POSE. I don’t know that I am aware of anything in particular, really, I just feel so light, though I must be, at least subconsciously?, aware of my internal happiness. This smile that sneaks across my mouth, it doesn’t tend to be connected to a distinct thought, to anything specific or concrete. It just happens. All of a sudden I am simply grinning to myself, having no real idea as to why, just the knowledge that it is there feels like enough each time it graces my face. It doesn’t happen every time I rise into the pose, but when it does, it just feels so good, so right. It’s almost indescribable, this feeling of being content. Sometimes it happens in Savasana, too, though the knowledge of it and feeling that comes along with the gesture is stronger when I am standing tall, still, forceful yet so light on my feet and legs, sometimes even feeling weightless, probably looking wild, maybe even goofy, with eyes closed and a slow smile spreading across my lips. It doesn’t have some majorly profound significance or relevance to my daily life, but I’m learning that it might, just.
Yoga giveaway, read on…
303 Magazine and Core Power Yoga are coming together for this New Year and offering a free month of yoga to one lucky person. Have you wanted to try yoga but haven’t had the time or the money…got some lofty goals for getting physical? Tell us your New Year’s resolutions for the big one, 2012! Hey, this might be your last chance to get right with Mother Earth before we all transcend into a higher dimension next December, or…not. Tell us why you should get free yoga in the comments below. Contest continues throughout December 2011. Don’t miss it!
I’m so happy that you are happy. I am so incredibly happy, too. 🙂
Jos, I just want to hug you. And your new baby girl. xoxooxoxoxo
Amazing as always Aubrey! You have such bright energy, it’s great to be around you and others that let their happiness shine instead of bottling it up. I agree that we cannot expect everything in our lives to be perfect, but if we concentrate and send our energy to the things that make us happy, the not so perfect things will melt away. Yoga is the best place to cultivate happiness when you have a clear mind and open heart. Thank you for writing this!
Mike, thank you so much. I say it every time, but I truly, truly appreciate your time in reading my blogs. And I very much value your thoughts as well. In addition to your mindful teachings in class! Your talk of Ganesh tonight was incredibly interesting to me; something I don’t think I know very much about at this time…I’m about to rectify that asap. I understand the intellect and wisdom part. More than that I am very much a newbie.
You know what I like about the non-perfect though, not the striving to find perfect. I like the challenge of finding happiness in the non-perfect. Maybe that is why I can say I am actually very happy hahhahah With me comes much imperfection. That should be my mantra: the one that stands equally beside “I am.” Yes, I think I like the two together. “I am. With me comes much imperfection.” Ha.