TIME OUT

Dear Yogis & Yoginis,
One day about two months ago, I took my wrist watch off and put it in my purse. It was bothering me as I was sweating and the metal left a band of black marks. The watch has remained in my purse ever since.
The removal of the watch gave me a great sense of freedom. I was no longer constantly looking at it to make sure I was not late; or how long I had been waiting in a grocery store line; or how much time I should allot myself to reading in the garden; and so on. It’s not that I had become irresponsible about managing my time, I just freed myself from being dictated by the habit of clock-watching. I do what is important at the moment and focus my attention in that moment. I still look at the clock to check the time and to make sure I am not late for important appointments or to pick up my grandkids, but my watch is no longer the center piece of my daily plans. Taking time out from being controlled by it makes me more relaxed and allows me to enjoy being in the moment doing whatever it is.
One of the most common remarks I hear people give for not exercising, or practicing yoga, or starting any projects, is that they would really like to start practicing yoga, but they just don’t have the time. They feel that the time spent practicing yoga is a luxury they cannot afford. They count every minute of the day doing things that are “important” and feel that people who have time to practice yoga are those people with nothing else to do (I actually heard someone said that one day.) These folks are in locked steps with their watch and clock, not realizing that if they truly want to practice yoga, or exercise, they could and would find the time to do so. They can still fulfill their responsibilities at work, and at home, and take time out to take care of themselves.
"It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important."
--- Antoine de Saint-Exupery --
Namaste,
Clarie