Six months ago, I sat in a room with five people who were practically strangers to me and began work on my first ever Vision Board. Our instructions were simple - look through the pile of magazines that had been placed in the center of the room and pull out pictures, quotes and words, that were appealing to us. If we had goals in mind that we knew we wanted to achieve then we should look for symbols of those also. For about four hours, the only audible sounds in the room were those of the ripping of magazine pages, the metallic grinding and squeak of moving scissors and the passing moments as the clock ticked on. Thumbing through magazine pages I ran across the quote, "Open your arms and your heart to the gifts that life offers you". I wasn't sure why, but it spoke to me and I glued it to my board.
Fast forward to present day, four of those five strangers are now integral pieces of my life. One has become a mentor, one a calm voice of wisdom and two have become dear friends. Each teaching me in one form or the other to be open to the people that life puts in my path and the wisdom that they can provide. But if I shift my focus and take a wider perspective, I see that I'm being offered gifts and blessings from all different avenues of my life. There are the gym owners that graciously open their space to provide me with a room in which to teach yoga classes; the small business owners that are always ready to lend an ear or offer advice; the old friends that send love and encouragement from the other side of the country and the new friends who come to classes to support me; the past student that offers to edit my work and the one who volunteers to work on my website; and finally, the childhood friend that sends me incredibly useful information on a project that is dear to my heart. Then, of course, my family that works as my foot soldiers and grass roots marketing team.
I had a conversation the other day, one that I was nervous to even engage in, that caused me to reflect on the importance of being open and mindful of the everyday moments when opportunities arise for all of us. Life experiences can harden us or try to break us. My life within the past four years has also been touched by personal trauma and while I'm not alone in my experiences, they can create a feeling of isolation. While healing, it's easy to build walls and try to protect one's self from the pain that goes along with being human. With this, one begins to lose a sense of mindfulness and the ability to recognize the beauty that life offers. I think it's what people refer to as "feeling numb".
Looking back, I see that my yoga practice has reawakened my ability to appreciate the significance of small moments, the interconnectedness of experiences and seemingly little gestures and conversations. It is only when we open our hearts to the love that surrounds us and our minds to our own possibilities that we are able to create a life that will make the world a better place. And what could possibly be better than that?