Inhaling the Future only after exhaling the Past

I went to my routine Ashtanga yoga practice this morning.  Due to upcoming labor day there were only two practitioners in the studios, so originally planted led practice turned to a focused workshop.  In the workshop the instructor not only helped us to get into a deep level through physical adjustments, but also shared the some thoughts regarding meditations.

The instructor shared his observations on my practices that I had a tendency to just “hurry through” each asana or pranayama.  He presumed that my daily life must be following a hectic schedule so that I had a hard time to really slow my mind down and concentrate on yoga mat.  I agreed with him since my life has been hectic with daily 11 ~ 12 hours spent at work, strong curiosity on other things such as photography and yoga.  Often time my brain was spinning while I was driving to work on morning to search for the solutions for the projects, and was till spinning while I was driving to home on Friday afternoon to think what I should accomplish during weekend.  At night I need some pills to force my brain to stop spinning, even so I still slept like a baby, i.e., wake up every couple of hours.  By juggling the daily routines I seldom stop my running feet to observe what are around me in a detailed level.  Moreover I even don’t have time to enjoy the financial benefit from hard working.

“What you should do is, for a few minutes each day, to completely empty your brain.  This means that you should temporarily unload all the burdens you have been carrying on yourself, and really learn how to focus on that moment,” said the instructor.

“During meditation by pranayama, you exhale the past then you inhale the future!”

We ended our practice after fruitful conversations with our instructor.  His advices serves one of the wake-up calls for me to slow down my running steps in order to reach true inner peace.

 

Note: the macro photo was taken this afternoon at our garden, those flying dragonflies once a while stop on the branches, I believe they were taking a break from their hectic world to bathe in the sunshine.