Head Down, Plow Forward

I recently started a yoga class. After one session, my friend and I, dripping sweat, gave each other an exasperated look. She said, “Yoga is hard!” I agreed. Maybe it would have been better not to wait until I was 50-something to try those human pretzel moves. Maybe if I did it every day without fail, my ligaments and tendons would loosen up a little faster. Maybe…coulda…woulda…shoulda.

In some ways, yoga’s like my meditation practice. Who knows where my practice would be today if I had started in my 20’s or before. But I didn’t. So all I have is today—what do I choose to do today? Do I give up because I’m behind? AM I behind, or do all things happen in their appointed time? Maybe I’m starting now because the Universe knows I need it now. Maybe it’s because I’m mentally, emotionally, spiritually at a place in my life where I can sense the importance of peaceful abiding. Maybe I was just busy, or lazy.

It doesn’t really matter why I waited this long, and honestly, it doesn’t matter how hard it is some days to drag myself to the cushion (or the yoga mat). What matters is that when I’m there, seated, feeling my breath lift me up with the incense smoke, then gently ground me to the earth again, I’m grateful to be there. And I know that I will have other days when motivation is hard to come by. But all that matters is THIS moment, and I do what my mother says: “Head down, plow forward.”