As I walk through the corridors
of my thoughts, I often reflect on my dual journey teaching in school and
guiding yoga for my clients. These two paths, though different in appearance,
meet at one deep truth: most people are not living in the present moment.
When I observe my students in the
classroom, I see restless bodies and wandering minds. They sit on their
benches, but they are not really there. Their thoughts are somewhere else, perhaps
in yesterday’s
memories or tomorrow’s
imaginations. Even in the dining hall, while eating food, they are not present
with the act of eating.
I see the same pattern in many of
my yoga students. They come to the mat physically, but their minds are still
carrying the weight of yesterday’s regrets
or tomorrow’s
worries. Their bodies are in the room, yet their thoughts are somewhere else.
Very few are truly present in the moment.
As a yoga teacher, I gently
remind them that yoga is not just about stretching the body. Yoga is the union
of body, mind, and soul and this
union can happen only in the present moment. When we are fully here, even a
simple breath becomes powerful. But when the mind is elsewhere, even the most
perfect posture feels incomplete.
Hello friends, have you ever felt
that life is running like a fast train and you are just a passenger who does
not even get time to look out of the window? From morning tea to night-time
exhaustion, every day feels like everything is running on autopilot. But
have you ever paused and wondered if everything stopped right now, what would
happen to your worries, your rush, your endless thinking?
Just think…
What if there is a path that can
introduce you to yourself, the real
you, lost somewhere in this noise? A path where every breath feels magical,
every moment peaceful, and life does not just pass by unnoticed. It may sound
unreal, but it is possible, and that too without going to mountains, forests,
or ashrams.
There is a strange restlessness
inside all of us, always wanting to do more, achieve more, become more. But in
this race, we forget to live. We sit with family but remain absent. We eat but
do not taste. We walk but do not see the path. And one day, when time has
slipped away, we realize that we never truly lived.
What if every small act like,
washing dishes, drinking water, walking, breathing, etc. could become
meditation? What if awareness entered our smallest routines? This is where
mindfulness begins.
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Mindfulness is not a complicated
philosophy or therapy. It is the simple discipline of being fully present. It
is the art of focusing your entire mental state on the moment you are living
whether eating, speaking, or breathing. When practiced, even ordinary tasks
become deep experiences. Peace begins to arise quietly within.
I often tell my students and yoga
practitioners to start with simple awareness. Pay attention to your actions.
Feel what you are doing while you are doing it. This small shift brings deep
balance. It calms the mind and awakens inner strength.
Walking, for example, is one of
the simplest yet most powerful practices. We walk every day, but rarely with
awareness. When we walk mindfully, feeling the wind, touching the earth,
sensing each step then walking
becomes meditation. Each step becomes a dialogue between body and
consciousness. We feel connected not only to ourselves but to the earth itself.
From morning to night, our lives
are filled with routine. But when awareness enters routine, life transforms.
Drinking tea becomes meditation when you feel its warmth, aroma, and taste.
Brushing teeth, bathing, making the bed all become spiritual practices when
done with presence. Time feels slower. Energy feels deeper. Life feels richer.
Even the smallest objects can
guide us toward awareness. Imagine picking up a pebble with full attention. It
may seem insignificant, yet it reminds us that peace lies in simplicity. We don’t need grand changes, only a
shift in perception. Small moments, fully lived, reveal profound calmness.
As we go deeper into awareness,
we begin to understand ourselves more clearly. Our body, feelings, thoughts,
perceptions, and consciousness are not separate they are interconnected. When
we recognize this inner unity, we stop feeling patchy. A sense of oneness
arises within and with the world around us.
Another powerful practice I
emphasize is listening. We speak every day, but do we truly listen? Deep
listening means giving full attention without interruption or judgment. When we
listen this way, we not only understand others better. We also discover silence
within ourselves. Listening builds empathy, connection, and emotional peace.
Breath, however, remains the most
accessible doorway to the present moment. Breath is life energy. When we focus
on breathing, we return instantly to the now. Slow, deep breathing calms
anxiety, balances emotions, and anchors awareness. Breath connects body and
mind, physiology and spirituality.
Ultimately, all these practices
lead to one realization: the present moment is the greatest gift of life. The
past is gone. The future is uncertain. Only this moment is real.
True joy is not hidden in big
achievements but in mindful living, sipping tea, walking slowly, breathing
consciously, speaking gently. Through my journey as a teacher and yoga guide, I
have realized one profound truth: people are everywhere except in the present.
Students in classrooms.
Clients on yoga mats.
Families at dining tables.
Bodies present — minds absent.
And that is the root of restlessness.
Mindfulness is a simple yet powerful remedy. When we pay
attention to our breathing, walk with awareness, truly listen to one another,
and stay present in the moment, we slowly return to ourselves.
If you are searching for peace, balance, or clarity in your
life, do not look only outside in
achievements, marks, money, or approval. The calmness and strength you seek are
already within you. You just need to pause, breathe, and reconnect with it.
You just need to pause… feel… and live this moment fully.
References
Buttjer, A. (2025). Impact of mindfulness on teaching &
learning. Northwestern College, Orange City.
Comstock, P. W. (2015). The retrieval of contemplation:
Mindfulness, meditation, and education. Teachers College, Columbia
University.
Plum Village. (2020, August 2). The Zen of dishwashing. https://plumvillage.org/articles/the-zen-of-dishwashing
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