Being Present

To be present. What does it actually mean? I am trying to figure my way through it at the moment. Should I have to try to be more 'present'? I think so, sometimes. When I arrive on my mat I sit still and breathe, I am present. When I start to move the mind often wanders into a narrative of "oh that's tight still" or "will I balance this time". Often I am making judgments on myself or layering on a few expectations.What I love about this practice is how much it teaches me. I learn humility, patience (sometimes), aprigraha (non grasping) and that I need to just sit in my stuff. I don't actually have to run away from it, rather accept it and lessen the grip of judgments on myself. In class this morning Calli said 'just feel' and I felt something let go inside. I moved away from the judgments to just being there, feeling my way into whatever I was doing.I notice the lack of being in the moment off the mat even more so. Walking out of class earlier I'm straight away on my phone checking Instagram, the sun shines down on me, I hear my boyfriend's voice "be more present Alice" and put the phone away. I need to remind myself regularly to stop multi-tasking. To commit my attention to the task in hand. That's one of the things I love about teaching. I am fully absorbed in the moment, nothing else enters my consciousness apart from what is happening in front of me, the students moving & breathing together.So I'm making a commitment to myself to 'just be' a little more. Starting with bringing more meditation into my practice. The physical asanas are one small part of the wonder that is yoga. I feel the time is right more than ever for me to explore the others limbs of this amazing path. The time is now.