Time Passes Slowly

I like to be reminded often that yoga is a form of living art - a creative process. It reminds me that my practice is an evolution of my own spirit, a culmination of willingness that is hitched to the end of the level of attention and care I give it. It reminds me that purpose lies within willing hands and inspiration is always beneath two grounded feet. Yoga is surely an art form, a great system of self inquiry and expression, and being so, like many other forms of art, it is a tool for harnessing both the open sea of nature’s spirit and a multitude of other whirling crashing forces that flourish throughout life. The practice, the process, the creation must be nurtured and attended to in order to reach its full potential and potency.

Creating art takes time and purpose, living whole-heartedly takes time and purpose, practicing yoga takes time and purpose.

In the depths of breath, energy, and presence there remains an almost endangered passage of time, a time that crawls along to the slow pulse of nature herself, a time that exudes the liberty necessary for noticing and connecting to that which stirs beneath the surface and all the mysteries that rest behind the mask of the face. The nuance and craftsmanship - for lack of a better word- that flows from a self reliant yoga practice is a gradual unfurling, a slow walk through the tall tress of one’s deepest sentiments. All connection requires this special kind of slow flowing time because the timeless practice of getting to know one’s self cannot be hurried.

The slow march towards paying better attention guides us to make clear choices that support our well-being and to understand the ways in which we can live with harmony and integrity, harmony with the inner world we feel and integrity in the outer world we perceive. Through the choices we make day to day we either create more connection to the worlds within and around us, or we mar ourselves in separation from them.

Do you numb yourself with distraction and stimulation, or do you channel your energy - dark and light- constructively?

Are you just planning joy and good habits for the future or are you creating them right now in the present?

Staying clear and connected is always a simple process of paying attention, it is just not always easy to do. It takes an enormous amount of trust to recognize the habits and people and inspirations that bring connection in. Likewise, it takes an incredible amount of courage to let go of the habits and behaviors and people that distract and separate. To pay attention, to create connection, to share authentically, and to know one’s self takes massive amounts of both trust and courage. If it simply took rolling out a yoga mat, turning on music, and kicking up a little dust by blowing in and out of postures then, with over 20 million people practicing yoga asana in the US alone, people as a whole would feel a lot more connected, respectful, and present.

More than a yoga mat and physical ability, yoga requires creative energy, deliberate focus, dedication, quiet tenderness, and a deep trust in the process of self discovery and expression. Because when we pay attention and trust, weather it be in our yoga practice, our relationships, our creative endeavors, our dreams, or our own self, that trust gives those elements of our life access to profoundly effect the way we feel, the way we choose to live our lives, and how connected we are to the rhythm of nature. Paying attention and living in accord with the world around us creates a felt sense of depth and continuity and meaning day to day, and it inspires us to uniquely contribute to the beauty of the world around us.

Yoga and the many other forms of harnessing creative spirit and self expression are rituals that honor the journey rather than the destination and they honor the humble truth that courage does not always roar with echos of confidence, trust can be scary, slowing down can be terrifying, and change can be deeply uncomfortable. The truth of it is is that making space in your life to breath, and feel, and pay attention, and express yourself constructively takes discipline, skill and sacrifice. And yet, sometimes the only path forward is to take a deep seat and tight reigns, and carry on into the setting sun towards the unknown. Sometimes the only choices we have to make are to surrender the ego, trust the process, and let go.

I have learned both on and off the mat that the process of self discovery and self expression are creative endeavors that are inseparable from the practice of letting go; and that letting go, albeit challenging and uncomfortable at times, is the path to living a life that is both artful and alive.

Words and photos by Erin Cookston