Breathe and All is Coming

I’m not a natural meditator; flow and movement call to me much more than meditation does.

But lately, I’ve been craving more in my asana practice, to tap into the more subtle aspects of my energy. For me, finding stillness in meditation is illusive, but once in a while, I’m able to find just a hint of inner peace.

I’ve written this short poem in an attempt to express my state of mind, and sometime frustration, during my exploration of meditation, and in sympathy with others who struggle with meditation.

Breathe

I open to receive the air

Filling me with possibilities,

With new hope;

And release the annoyances of the day, the uncertainty

My mind tries to settle, flutters,

Runs away and returns

Back to the breath;

Counting the inhales and exhales,

Resting on the pause in between

As the breath turns

Each breath becoming deeper,

More natural,

Watching, waiting,

For the mind to relax into itself

But the mind catches again,

Just as I give up control,

Refusing to let go

Breath and focus,

Settling into calm,

And for a moment,

I find it,

As it floats away once more.

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May Louie first took yoga in college to fulfill a Phys-Ed requirement and immediately fell in love. She, unfortunately, did not continue with her practice but reconnected with it when she retired from her corporate job in 2002 and has since become a serious yoga enthusiast. After her second retirement last year, she completed her 200-hour RYT certification, studying with Dina Crosta, Ellen Mosko, and Jamie Segal Hanley, with a focus on alignment based flow.