On the edge of Southern England, tucked away along the 96-mile stretch of the Jurassic Coast, lies the most breathtaking green hills and towering white cliffs. Standing at the edge here, gazing out over the English Channel, I simply breathed, completely. It was here I realized how effortless this present moment truly is—just breathing, seeing, believing. I let the seconds pass without any objection. Time was measured by the sun and his spectacular colors while he began to drop down toward the horizon. I thought to myself, this is reality. This is what it is to live this human life, as a microscopic miracle in this terrifyingly vast universe. This is yoga.
I traveled to Europe without my yoga mat. For those 2 weeks I did not practice much asana at all. I even forgot to pop into a dancer’s pose at the edge of the cliffs for an epic picture. My mind wasn’t on the physical practice and it was refreshing. I will say, when I arrived back home, my body was craving it. My first time back on my mat was a little creaky, however, my mind felt brand new. The yoga I lived while I was away was on the green hills of England and with the mysterious trees of the Grunewald.
Grunewald Forest, Berlin, Germany
When I came home, I almost said “back to reality”, but that didn’t feel right. If we keep thinking of “reality” as something we don’t look forward to, we’ll never feel truly present. Reality was walking along the cliffs of England, feeling so small, yet so significant at the same time. Reality was staring up at Stonehenge in complete awe of where I was in that exact moment, in time and space. Reality was walking through the historical streets of Berlin, feeling one with a city that has seen so much sorrow and war, and yet continues to thrive. I found reality even once we were back home, going for a walk and gazing out over the reservoir. Reality is indeed a gift we receive every moment of every day and how we chose to receive it is completely our own.
You do not have to fly across oceans to accept this gift. In fact, you don’t even have to leave the very spot you are in right now. The reality of now is always accessible. It is the crisp autumn air and the smell of hot apple cider brewing. It is the sound of laughter and happiness surrounding the upcoming holidays. Reality is the very breath you are taking right now, creating space and allowing it to flow within you, filling you with life and love, carrying you home to your true self.
Stonehenge