Tightrope

Do you ever feel as though you are walking along the tightrope of life?

I do sometimes. This image came up in a conversation I had with a friend about a week ago as we were lamenting about our physical ailments and challenges. I have this thought that as we age and move along our own life's journey we need to pay close attention to how we are stepping along the path so that we can keep ourselves in balance. As an example, someone who has osteoarthritis knows that they need to move, but not too much. Inactivity will make them worse and too much activity will make them worse-so they need to find that perfect sweet spot of balance, as though they are walking along a tightrope.

As we age, it can seem that paying attention to this becomes more critical. We need to truly listen to the voices inside us that guide our physical choices, knowing that if we push too hard, we could be paying the price the following days or weeks to come. Looking back to when we were younger, it seemed as though we had a bunch of wiggle room. We could do something with a slightly higher risk of feeling the after effects, like having a big night out partying, running in an annual fun run or going bungee jumping and still be okay the next day. Perhaps a bit sore or hung over, but nonetheless functional.

Last weekend I was celebrating my 35-year high school reunion (yikes!) and as I was sitting with a friend I've known since junior high school, a group of classmates at the opposite end of the table were toasting good times with a round of tequila shots. My friend and I looked at each other with a similar expression...one that telegraphed that if we were doing that, we'd have a whole lotta sorry the next day! I may have chosen that 20-30 years ago but as my life is now, keeping myself in balance is a high priority and having a tequila shot would have knocked me off my tightrope. I don't have the same wiggle room and wisdom (and experience) has taught me well...having a morning after hangover was something that would cause suffering.

My thought for the week wasn't just around avoiding hangovers or finding the right amount of movement, but more profoundly to embody the mindset of a tightrope walker. I asked a class this week, "How does a tightrope walker move across the rope?" to which someone replied, "Very carefully!". If you've ever seen someone do this, its a demonstration of absolute commitment, concentration and focus on being in the present moment.

The walker carefully places their heel upon the rope then slowly transfers their weight through the foot into the precise placement between their toes, finds stability on the forward leg before off-loading the back leg to shift their weight forward. They don't run across the rope, but instead move with such incredible mindfulness that the only concern is the present moment. If they got ahead of themselves, started to entertain the "what if" scenarios or took their awareness elsewhere...ka-bam...off they would go.

Our practice this week in class was to engage the mindfulness and attitude of the tightrope walker by bringing our full attention to our mats, to slow down and sense our inner experience, to notice how we moved from one pose to another. Staying present is a challenging practice, yet the more we come into this moment, the more we recognize how alive we are here and now.

No matter what turbulence we are experiencing, offer yourself an opportunity to slow down, take a deep breath and move mindfully through each and every step. One careful step at a time...