At the center of things.

"How many times did you center today?"

With the speed our culture moves at, it sounded like a lot to ask. Kids. Work. Emails. Commutes. Who has the time? 

But it's not centering that we can't afford. Going interior, even for just a moment or two, has a wealth of benefits – and you don't have to sit cross-legged to reap them. Standing or sitting, planned or unplanned, short, simple pauses throughout the day help us view situations from a different (and distant) perspective. Centering grounds us. Revitalizes our mental energy. Gives us space in a world crowded with obligations.

After all, we're not just doers. We're human beings. And sometimes, well, we just need to...be. 

A simple centering: Bring awareness to your breath. Offer it your undivided attention. Close your eyes or soften your gaze. Deepen your inhales. Allow the breath to fill the belly, expand the rib cage and touch the collarbones. On your exhalations, send the air out in reverse: from the sternum, the chest and finally, the belly. Then scan your body for tense spots, and visualize your breath traveling to each of those areas, a swirl of healing, unfurling the kinks with each exhalation.

The power of perception.

When I was little, I was fascinated by wings. Birds. Butterflies. Bees. All spontaneity and freedom.

I, on the other hand, was all hands and feet. Capable of many things, yes. But with no way to touch down softly on a flower. Soar through the sky. Be out of reach in the blink of an eye.

All I saw was up. Not downs. I never thought of how exhausting flying must be. How much effort is needed just to take off.

Romanticizing. Easy to do, but it doesn't do us any good. It blocks our view of reality. Creates envy. And lowers what we all need more of: compassion.

Want the truth?

Just practice it.

Truthfulness (satya) is another yama of yoga. Yes, that means not lying. But it goes beyond that. Satya encompasses intention and mindfulness. It is never sheer fact; it is discerning. Honesty...softened.  

Ask yourself this: Something may be the truth, but is there any value in saying it? Is our purpose to show what we know? Prove we are right? And, most importantly, will speaking it cause more harm than good?

If the answer to that last one is yes, remember this: Satya is not satya without ahimsa.

Inwardly, in our personal mind chatter, satya is about integrity. Not only telling ourselves the truth, but also maintaining purity of thought and action when no one is observing us. How do we change our internal chatter and make room for satya? Meditation and asana. They quiet our minds, so we are free to view the world with sharpened clarity. Making truth easier to seek, receive and accept.  

Take a peek at satya's etymology.

Sat= the eternal unchanging truth beyond all that is known

Ya= do it

That means, if you want the truth, you just have to practice it.

Look around today.

Look around today, and bask in the world's existence. Notice the paths not taken. Find beauty where there is none and seek rejuvenation from the mundane. Feel the grace in the air, the salvation in the wind and ahimsa in every smile. Know that all of this – all of these wonders – are not meant to be yours for the keeping. But they are still forever yours to keep.