My Brain is Overflowing

How often do you find yourself with too many things to keep track of? Not enough time to do them all? Not enough time to even think about everything there is to do?

I currently have a whole artichoke sitting on my kitchen bench staring at me. This is because my Father-in-law loves artichokes and I thought I might be seeing him on the weekend. I knew there wasn't time to see him, I just had one of those intentional moments and decided that magically I would be able to learn how to cook it and give it to him, this weekend, without any thought or planning. At the shops, my brain was scatty. I've got a lot going on recently and my brain was too full. I was vulnerable to random artichoke purchases.

What has this got to do with yoga?

I mean, yoga is about the union of the body, mind and spirit, recognising the connection between all living things. Union, not onion. Or artichoke.

My yoga practice involves spending time uniting my body, mind and spirit. I spend time nurturing myself, letting my brain get some me time, focussing on just whatever it is that I'm doing, thinking and feeling.

This morning I did just that. I went into the garden, sat for meditation, and started moving mindfully into my asana practice. Between every few asanas (postures) I asked myself: what else do I need now? Then I focussed on doing that posture to the best of my ability, while asking myself, what am I feeling? When I felt like running off to do a job, I (mostly) managed to refocus on me and remind myself why this time is so important.

After my practice, I did not do anything with the artichoke. But I did get other, more urgent things done. I was kind to myself about not getting everything on my list done, and not doing everything quite as perfectly as I would have liked. I spent time enjoying the beauty of the day and focussing on friends and family. My brain was less full, more focussed, and I felt happier, calmer and wholer.

It occurs to me that yoga practice today has helped me look at my day, and my artichoke, quite differently. I see a reminder of nature's beauty, rather than a guilt-inducing uncooked and uneaten vegetable. I see a simple artichoke that can tell me, that its purpose in my life wasn't to teach me how to cook artichokes and how to give, but how to stop, and think more clearly. I see the lessons it brought me - how to be kind and forgive myself for not using it yet. How to be creative, and pop it into a vase, with the few minutes I can find.

Somehow my brain is still kind of full, but somehow I'm fine with it. I find myself grateful once again for the magic of yoga....and for the unexpected gifts from artichokes.