Sometimes while I’m practicing yoga or meditation, I realize that I’ve left my mat or cushion for a few moments – but I was completely unaware of my departure.
Of course, arriving back to awareness of the present moment – the fact that I am actually practicing yoga or meditation, perhaps holding a pose, doing a set of flow movements, or focusing on my breath – is always surprising when you I realize I have actually lost consciousness of what I was doing, and instead, drifted away into thoughts.
At that point, while drifting away in thoughts, I’m not really getting the deepest possible experience out of my practice, because of course I’m not focused on it.
Even though this may seem like a ‘bad thing, there is a great upside to this.
It’s the arrival back into the present moment, to the state of complete awareness of what you are doing right now.
Arrival can only come after a departure.
In fact, one could not exist without the other. They are the same, two sides of the same coin, if you will.
So the practice is really about arriving as quickly as possible whenever you do depart.
And you will depart, no matter how strongly you can focus, no matter how many years you’ve been practicing.
The difference between you and most people is that:
- You have a practice (most do not).
- Many spend large percentages of their days, weeks, and years in departed states.
The Healthy Path 