Yoga: Preparing Us For the Flaming Lexus

For the most part, life is a series of odd and unexpected events, happening one after another until we die. Then, according to yoga, we do it all over again until we eventually stop doing that and we pop out of this extraordinary cycle forevermore.

If we can have this idea in our minds, that despite our best efforts of something heading in one direction, life very well might lead us in another, then there is the potential for a wonderful sense of peace and curiosity. Of letting go of the achingly-tight grip of control. An important component to this however, is that we don’t just flap about, living life at sub-par potential under some false excuse of ‘pre-determination’, quite the opposite. Instead, we enthusiastically embrace the hobby of bringing the highest quality to every action. Then regardless of what happens, we know we did our very best and most likely because of the ever expanding potential that comes with committing to high-quality action, we’ll also be much better skilled at dealing with the unexpected when it inevitably arrives.

Take for example, good sleep. We can do everything we know that contributes to good sleep : up at 6:00am, zero caffeine, vigorous morning yoga practice, no overly heating foods, zero processed cane sugar or deep fried difficult to digest foods, meaningfully busy day, eating two hours before bed, a night time relaxation practice and in bed by 10pm. Still though however, you could be woken to the sound of someone tapping on your window at midnight to tell you that a car had crashed into a tree at the top of your property, which was now a flaming inferno, along with the large eucalypt it was embracing, which was only 1 metre away from the canopy of your own eucalyptus forest, that the home in which you were a moment before sleeping in, may in a matter of seconds join the same flaming fate.

In such a circumstance, it is not a case of goddammit - all that I had invested into that wonderful sleep is now wasted! But instead ‘thank god, I committed to all of those quality actions so that I feel much clearer during this odd and highly unexpected event, as well as having a much better starting point for the next day when I must function on just a few hours of albeit, short, but high quality sleep I just had.

Then, if we continue to commit to the same wonderful routine as the day before, the negative effects of the previous evening will be ironed out and bring us beautifully back to a fantastic space, despite the minimal rest.

Now, that is one handy positive loop to continuously assist in being prepared and enthusiastic about the unexpected.

Oh, and in case you have burning questions, no, there was no-one in the car. They had decided to runaway and leave their bbq-ing Lexus leftovers behind with little love or concern for the two families on the neighbouring property that they may have toasted along with it, if our neighbour had not woken. Thankfully good diligence to potent practices such as yoga, also take care of any residual negative feelings. Leaving behind nothing more than gratitude that it wasn’t far worse than it may very well have been, along with a burnout wreckage that will have far greater impact at slowing others down around that curvaceous bend then any federally funded campaign.