Risk and Commitment

"Life is a journey, not a destination." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm sure you've heard this quote before. It is often considered a misconception that encourages us to lack direction and wander about aimlessly, though perhaps we might consider it another way. 

Destinations motivate us, but it's the journey that expands our possibilities and potential. So...what if we see the experience we have along the way to be equally important as the goal - the destination we head towards?

We'd all like a guarantee before heading in a certain direction, making a decision or taking a risk, but the irony is that in taking a risk we are already committing to the outcome. Real commitment comes before knowing where anything is going. 

Most people come to yoga with some sort of goal; to reduce stress, gain strength and stamina, improve balance and stability, or to relieve chronic pain. We commit to the practice and soon realize there is much more to it. The practice is not about getting anywhere. It's about observing yourself and accepting the experience of the moment. 

In yoga we take a risk when we reach out in a pose not knowing where it will lead us, and then we commit to being where we are as we take a moment to pause. Accepting where we are, and that where we are is where we need to be leads us to realize that there is no destination, it's all about the journey! 

This month we practiced a walking meditation, perhaps you'd like to give it a try. Walk slowly around the room with eyes gazing downward and with each step feel the risk in the lifting and the commitment in the landing. Repeat silently, "There is no destination, it's all about the journey." 

Trust the journey, 
Kathe