Enjoying the Sweetness

Dad at the Salt Marshes in Ibiza

The theme of class was sweetness. The instructor guided us to find the sweet, stick, gooey spots in each posture. She lead us into seated meditation with the intention of settling into our sweet spot. As in most meditations, my mind began to wander. But not with the normal “chitta vritti” or mind chatter I usually work so hard to shoo away. Instead I reflected on what was sweet in my life and I found myself transporting back to a scooter ride in Ibiza with my dad. The sweetness of that day was unparalleled. It was perfect. The weather was a beautiful warm 85 degree, the sun was shinning perfectly- not too hot, just right. And the landscape was so picturesque.  Truthfully, picturesque is the wrong word to use because a picture couldn’t do justice to what I saw and felt. It was a day that used all 5 of my sense. I felt, touched, smelled, heard and of course saw everything and I took it in fully. Once we got out of the city, the roads were small. Two lane roads with barely any other inhabitants to greet us, even in the broad daylight. There were small houses plopped on big pieces of land and big houses plotted on even bigger pieces of land. As we rode, I saw the rows of trees and crops planted. I closed my eyes so I could simply feel the air and hear the stillness of my surroundings. But I quickly opened my eyes because I didn’t want to miss the view.

            It was and still is the most beautiful experience I had ever had. And I think it had more to do with how I felt inside and less to do with what I saw. I was on top of the world traveling and exploring. I was stepping out of my comfort zone and experiencing everything I possibly could. And I knew in that very moment, that day would become a memory. Even though in hindsight there was no way to realize how sweet of a memory it would become.

            Back in seated meditation, I relished in that memory and felt a natural glow come over me. I didn’t let the memory stay very long, but it was there and I let it warm me from the inside out. I felt happiness and peace all at once knowing I experienced something so indescribably perfect. 

            When I think about this experience in seated meditation, I feel an immense amount of gratitude because I now know it was a culmination of the experiences that have brought me to where I am today. During this trip to Europe, I decided I wanted to become a yoga instructor. I knew that I was ready to commit myself to the practice and learn more. Every time I took a class that had a well thought out theme (such as the one of “sweetness”) or spoke of the 8 limb path, I found myself hungry for more. The idea was always squelched by the fact that the timing was wrong or I didn’t have enough money. But on this trip, that hunger caught up with me. Not in a painful sharp way, but it a sweet longing way. The way you sometimes long to hold a baby or play with a puppy. But it was even stronger than that and I knew the moment I got back home it was time to dedicate myself to the mission.

            And here in this class when I was asked to find sweetness, I suppose I wasn’t just finding the sweetness of a memory. Rather, I found the sweetness of the freedom I felt when I decided to listen to my hearts desire and enjoy the ride.