As a practitioner of yoga, one point that is stressed repeatedly by instructors is to stay in the moment, think of nothing and just experience what is going on around you. Well that is something I haven’t had a lot of luck doing or understanding. No matter how hard I have tried, yesterday and tomorrow always invaded my thoughts (think of channel surfing on your TV).
At some point, during hours and days of driving through the African wilderness hunting for animals with my husband, sometimes waiting hours in the truck while they stalked an animal, I noticed that I wasn’t thinking of anything. I was so absorbed with spotting animals, taking in the scenery and trying not to fall out of the bouncing truck that I didn’t have time for yesterday and tomorrow. I was relaxed and calm.
Our second night back in the states we built a fire in the chiminea and had some wine and cheese to celebrate our trip. For the first time that I can remember, I was able to just sit around the fire and enjoy the warmth of the flames and glowing embers without feeling the need to be doing something else. I felt like someone had shut off the TV in my head.
I’m hoping I can hold onto this “living in the moment” feeling that I acquired in Africa. It is a good lesson learned and I just need to keep practicing.
