Snailing Along From the Mat

 

Have you ever watched a snail move? I mean, really watched? 

They don't move quickly, do they? Slow, plodding, sometimes with a sticky trail of snail goo in their wake, they travel at their own speed and in their own way. They don't compete with other snails. They just do their own thing. And eventually they arrive at their destination. 

When I'm asked for advice on how to approach a yoga practice, I often say, "Be like a snail." 

I get strange looks but when I explain my thoughts on the snail's sweet way of wandering through life, it makes sense to most people. Sometimes, it doesn't, but that's okay, too. 

So, as I approach my mat this morning I move mindfully, slowly, finding my own boundaries and perhaps testing them ever so slightly. I know that this journey is one taken on my time, in my way. That's a gift to everyone who comes to the mat, to find their way on their own terms. 

Such a gentle, logical practice. What's not to love?