It All Begins with Awareness

I had started to notice something didn't feel quite right in my body. I was feeling heavier and less comfortable and I could see I had gained some weight. It wasn't simply about the weight itself. It was the awareness that I wasn't feeling like myself and that somewhere along the way, I had moved out of balance.

I could see how easily I had slipped into the comforts and luxuries of life. A little more food. A little less movement. More time in my comfort zone. Nothing dramatic had happened. I had simply moved, little by little, out of balance.

And then I became aware.

That is one of the greatest gifts this lifestyle and the practice of yoga have given me. I have

learned that before anything can change, there first has to be awareness.

Awareness without judgment.

Not, What is wrong with me?

But rather, Where am I out of balance? And what small adjustments can I make to come back?

I started paying closer attention to the food I was eating. I began reading labels again and watching the amount of sugar I was consuming because I know my own body. Sugar is something I am sensitive to, and when I eat too much of it, my body responds.

The more we know ourselves, the easier it becomes to recognize what nourishes us and what doesn't.

I also started moving differently. Instead of thinking that exercise had to mean forcing myself to go on another long walk, I began spending more time in my garden. I walked when it felt enjoyable. I got outside in the morning light. I moved my body because it felt good to move.

These weren't enormous changes.

They were small shifts made with awareness.

But something interesting began to happen.

As one part of my life started coming back into balance, other parts seemed to follow.

My spiritual community at Unity in Windsor has been part of this journey too. Being connected with community has brought things to the surface and also given me support that I have needed to work through it. Sometimes growth isn't comfortable, but it gives us another opportunity to look within.

At home, life has also been changing.

My husband has been going through some health challenges, particularly with his short-term memory, and this has brought changes into our household and into our relationship.

But somewhere along the way, something softened in me.

I began enjoying his company more. I found myself happy when he came home. There was a closeness developing between us that I hadn't expected.

Maybe what was changing wasn't him.

Maybe it was me.

There was more acceptance in me-acceptance of what he is going through, acceptance of the choices he makes, and an awareness that I don't have to control everything around me.

As I continued nourishing my body, moving, spending time in my garden, connecting with community and becoming more present, I noticed my heart opening.

Some relationships began naturally falling away. Others became stronger.

Memories of my family began coming back to me, and I found myself wanting to connect with them more.

And I realized that this is what it means to live consciously.

It isn't about having the perfect diet, the perfect body, the perfect marriage or the perfect life.

It is about noticing.

What am I feeling?

What is my body telling me?

Where have I moved out of balance?

What is asking for my attention?

And then making one small conscious choice.

Because one choice often leads to another.

The food changes.

The body changes.

The relationships change.

The heart changes.

And slowly, life begins to come back into alignment.

This, for me, is the practice of yoga.

Not simply what happens on the mat, but how I live my life when I step off it.

It all begins with awareness.