“Smile, breathe, go slowly.” ~Thich Nhat Hahn

This January I began fulfilling a long time desire. I began practicing yoga. While I had taken a few classes here and there, it never seemed to stick. The time was wrong. I was too busy. Once the room was even too cold to make me stick with it! But this new endeavor seems to be turning out much better. I love the attention to breath….so important to so many things……stress reduction, anger management, prayer. And I love the music they play….mostly soothing and contemplative.

One of the words used quite often by the teacher is ‘available’, as in ‘if this is available to you.’ She says this as she is moving into a particular pose, stretching her limber body in  all manner of shapes. In this context ‘available’ means ‘if you can do this.’ It is such a nice grace-filled way of approaching a pose that, many times, seems to me pretty impossible! But I never feel shamed or too old or unable…..the pose simply isn’t available to me yet. Which in turn implies that it will be some day. It is a very hopeful feeling. Plus each time the teacher says ‘available’ it makes me smile and that has to also be good for my practice, doesn’t it? Smiling several times an hour, while breathing deeply and stretching my muscles into various lunges, has to be doing something wonderful in my body, in my spirit.

There are many things in life that are not available to us on any given day. These unavailable acts are based on so many factors….experience, education, economics, where we were born, the list goes on and on. But just because they are unavailable today does not mean they will always be so. I know this from my very short practice of yoga so far. The first several times I tried Tree pose, it was more like tree-in-wild-storm pose. My body whipped this way and that, falling over every time. And then one day,after a few short weeks, I did it. I stood tall and still, not for very long, but I did it! Tree was available to me. I felt such a surge of energy and power.

Of course, the next day when I tried to be my Tree,  the winds were blowing once again. But I am still holding onto the day when Tree pose and I became one. This small little piece of wisdom learned through yoga has filtered out into my understanding of other things in life that may be available….or not. Sometimes patience seems completely unavailable. Same with forgiveness. And compassion. That’s where practice comes into play. The more I practice a patient mind, a forgiving heart, a compassionate spirit, they become slowly available.

And so that is one of the true lessons of this short yoga practice I have begun. The time set aside for connecting with this breath that keeps each of us moving on the earth sets in motion the notion that much becomes available to us when we practice and practice and practice.

What would you like to move from the unavailable to available spot in your life? What pose would you like to hold and strengthen until you are full of energy and power? We have a weekend ahead that promises a hint of spring. May we all find the joy of this ‘available’ to us and may our hearts be lifted in gratitude.