The Heart of Yoga

Mikayla taking a nap with our dog Miley

I have been taking Yoga for awhile now at the Crossfit gym I go to.  I have to admit I am pretty terrible at the poses, but I have started to get better.  My favorite part of the class is at the end for Shavasana, or as our teacher likes to call it "The Heart of Yoga."  Shavasana is a time of relaxation and deep meditation where we try clear our mind of thoughts (never an easy task).  As we enter this period of meditation, our yoga instructor always gives us a few encouraging mantras to focus on and help us clear our mind.  These mantras might be something like: "I choose to be content in this moment" or "I am worthy of love," amongst many others.  Although I do pray often, I had never taken time each week to meditate and keep my mind clear of thoughts, and try to release my worry and anxiety.  What a great practice this is, and I now look forward to this time each week.  The other thing it has taught me is the power of a MANTRA to repeat and keep with you.  A mantra is a group of words you believe to have some spiritual or psychological power.
Well after a few sessions now, I am a firm believer that they do have power.  I have been focusing more and more on taking mantras with me throughout my days and weeks beyond Yoga.  The mantra might be something I hear in Yoga, something I need to tell myself, or a Bible verse.  I find they really do have an effect on how you process things throughout the day and can make a positive impact on your life.  When you have a daughter with special needs, you will often spend a great deal of time in anxiety and worry about her.  You worry about what the future looks like, and how you can handle it all.  Having a simple mantra can be a reminder to let go of that worry and give your anxiety over to God.  I used to have more prayers times with God where I would pray, and then just leave the prayer there throughout the day.  I would leave it until I came back to it the next morning.  Through the help of the Shavastana time of Yoga and simple mantras, I have started to have more conversations with God that I take with me throughout the day.  I take my meditations and quiet times with me now, and I do my best not to worry about Mikayla.  I simply try to love her to the best of my ability.  I suppose you could even say that is one of my mantras.  I am certainly not perfect at this, and I know I never will be... but that won't keep me from trying.