Staying Present: Guest Post by Yoga Teacher Shawna

You might not want to think about it right now, but Fall is approaching. Fall marks the beginning of harvest season and schools will be starting soon again.

As a parent, I'm trying not to think about it! I want to linger in summer as long as I can; remembering my childhood Summers growing up in Ohio, sliding down the slip n’ slide, and meeting up with friends at the pool.

And here's the thing, both of these sentiments that I've just written about are in a different tense. The first one is thinking in future tense, and the second one has me reminiscing about the past. 

I hear in my mind that age-old adage, “The present moment is all you ever have.” Thank you Eckart Tolle, but sometimes I find that hard. Actually, I find it hard quite often! 

AND, I have practices and tools to support me to stay present! Yoga, mindfulness, breathing, embodying my core values, releasing emotions, self-compassion, and so many more!

A lot of people have the misconception that yoga is only physical. Nope! It actually starts with ethical ways of living so that each person, even YOU, dear reader, can experience peace, ease, joy, and happiness. 

Sometimes when I think about personal trainers, I also think about yoga teachers. Personal trainers may talk to you about lifting heavy weights and tearing down muscles in order to build the muscles back up. In the practice of yoga, we do the same thing. 

Yes, we do the physical, and we also do the emotional, mental, and spiritual building up as much as releasing and breaking down what is no longer needed in our lives. 

Learn more about Shawna here.