A Moment in Time

8/26/12

            I have waited a long time to have another child. When I contemplate labor and delivery, I feel immediate fear and apprehension. I have the great fortune of experience, having had a child before, but my previous experience was over shadowed by fear. I was so intimidated by the prospect of pain and suffering, and subsequent motherhood that I did not sufficiently prepare. Today I have many techniques to attempt to alleviate these strong emotions, as well as help me through labor and delivery, thanks to my yoga practice.

            Mantra is one such technique that I full intend on utilizing before, during and after labor. It can be a powerful tool for self transformation. The mantra I've encountered in yoga classes have been Sanskrit prayers; or the translations of them. But for my purposes (endurance and focus in the face of excruciating pain) I have been contemplating the idea of a moment in time.

            A moment in time is a good mantra for anytime in life, for any person. I remember in high school I had a note that I posed in my room which read “This too shall pass”. Through anxiety, sadness, pain, even happiness and joy, we have but to endure each moment to get through it. We can rest assured that things will change, if given enough time. This idea can get us through difficult times.

Time is so very subjective. How often have you looked retrospectively at an event in your life to notice how quickly the time passed as it occurred, yet while you were in the midst of it, it seemed like an eternity?

                        As far as asana is concerned, remembering but a moment in time while you practice any asana that you find irritating, painful, or otherwise difficult, can help you persevere through those difficulties. If I were going to teach this class, I’d pick as many irritating poses as I could think of. In order to truly practice this idea, don't run away from what you dislike. Watch your reactions while you endure the time and as you learn about yourself, you'll be able to handle the situation, or the feelings that arise from it, with grace.