Carpe Diem

News of death is never pleasant. News of death of someone you knew is disturbing at best, devastating at worst. During the past two weeks, I received news that four people whom I knew had passed away. I was sad, disturbed, devastated, all at once. The fact that three of the four had died younger than they should have caused me much grief. It also reminded me that life could be fragile and tenuous; it should not be taken for granted. I am once again reminded of my favorite saying, “Carpe Diem”.

Many years ago, when my husband and I purchased a sail boat (that’s whole another story) in California, we tried to rename the boat to get rid of the original name. We agonized over this project, poring through name books, other people’s boats’ names, when we saw the movie Dead Poets Society and the professor told his students, “Carpe Diem, make the best of you lives”. At that moment we remembered the recent death of an acquaintance at a young age, and the unpredictability of life’s happenings, we decided to name our boat Carpe Diem, or Seize the Day. Ever since that time, I have tried to follow that motto, though not always with success. I have carried that same belief into the practice of yoga.

In yoga, we don’t just seize the day, we seize the moment. Seizing each moment and making the best of it is our yoga mantra. Without lingering on the past, nor pining for the future, we make each moment the most important moment as the seconds and minutes tick away and as we focus on what is happening to our body, our breath, and our whole being, we remain present, mind and body. As we change and evolve every day, every hour, every minute and second, our yoga practice also changes and evolves simultaneously. We accept this phenomena and enjoy the moment to moment unfolding of our experiences. Yesterday I could balance on one leg but that day was gone, tomorrow is a total toss-up so there is no reason to worry. What I do have is this very moment I can focus on, and each second will be gone if I don’t seize it and make the best of it.

“Live mindful of how brief your life is...gladly accept the gift of the present hour...seize the day, and put the least possible trust in tomorrow...” — Horace —

Namaste,
Clarie