We’ll just say that my last week has been a whirlwind of chaos, first starting with last week’s 5-alarm fire in SF. The building was right across the street from mine, and forced an evacuation of my building for a couple days due to damage. Luckily, I have amazing friends to crash with and coincidentally, had a yoga retreat lined up, which allowed me to escape all of the fire hullabaloo.

 

This yoga retreat allowed for a few things:

– Escape from my busy urban life
– Escape from electronics
– Time to think about my life in its current, past and future states
– Relax, rejuvenate, and respond to my body’s needs

If you don’t get a chance to get away from your daily routine, I would highly suggest it. At first, you might feel out of place, before you start settling down. Allowing yourself the opportunity to be in a relaxed environment without any pressing commitments is a blessing.

For those of us who are tied to the hip (pocket) with our phones… have we all forgotten how to talk to one another without texting, instant messaging, or emailing? This is one of those back to basics that I think we all need a reset button for. No longer can we rely on emoticons to display levels of intention or inflection in our voices. No longer are we able to delay our responses when it’s convenient. It’s all about the present moment. It’s all about being able to feel and make a connection with someone that’s right in front of you.

And this is when you have opportunities to discuss and explore your past, present and future moments. “Life experiences, everyone!” vs “Life, experiences everyone!” Who’s to say each one isn’t valued in a certain context? We all have life and we all have experiences, but I think how you bring attention to them, interpret them and take action are much more impacting on your own life and others going forward. It’s karma. How we are able to handle our life’s misfortunes and success will ultimately lead us to either growth or stagnation.

I used this long weekend as a journey for myself to not just relax, but work through some choices I’ve been on the fence about for quite some time. What came to light, though, was the need to keep one foot on one path and another foot on another path. My straddling served a purpose and is continuing to grow with a deeper meaning. I was given an opportunity to escape down a single path, but I realized that I needed most to ground myself on the path that I felt like I was retreating from. There is where I would achieve the most personal growth.

So while not everyone has an opportunity to go on a yoga retreat, I would ask that you take the time to try a few of the things I mentioned above, in order to promote some growth within yourself and your community. Reconnect with people. Reconnect with yourself.

~Namaste~ BC