The power of now

Atha Yoga Nushasanam 1.1
Now, the practice of yoga begins.

​With the first of the Yoga Sutras, the Indian sage Patanjali reminds us that yoga doesn't happen in the past or in the future. It happens in the Now. It's a call to action, to wake up and to bring us deeply into the present moment.

This opening statement precedes almost 200 short aphorisms that describe the path to yogic happiness and it is often overlooked. It's kind of obvious, that if you open the book to learn about yoga, the first page is where it begins. 

But I believe it is a very significant reminder that in this very auspicious moment - the NOW - we have been blessed with the opportunity to follow the learned path of yoga. I cannot do that in the past and certainly not in the future. Eckhart Tolle wrote a book about the "The Power of Now."

He said, "Nothing happened in the past; it happened in the Now. Nothing will ever happen in the future; it will happen in the Now."

Tolle encourages us to "realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life." Ask yourself, what do I need right now? What does my body want right now? Listen in stillness to let the answer arise.

"Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it. Make it your friend and ally, not your enemy." When we realize that life doesn't happen to us but for us, we will miraculously transform our whole life.

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