Tree Pose

About being in the moment. I am not one who is great at being in the moment. I tend to think about what's ahead and what I need to get done to get to the next thing. This year I have been working on being in the moment. This is one of the reasons I started practicing Yoga. Breathing is one of the first things I learned in practicing yoga. Breathing often happens subconsciously, but when I purposely breathe in and breathe out, it helps center my mind to what is now. 

To be clear, I don't think there is anything wrong with hustling. I think it is valuable to have drive and ambition in life. The importance of education is so ingrained in my head, that most of my drive and ambition are focused on my academics. It all started in Taiwan, where I not only attend public school but also cram school for almost all subjects. In high school, I was focused on excelling my ESL (English as Second Langugage) classmates, while trying to compete with those growing up in the States. In college, I will get to as many office hours as I can, practice tons of problems, and asking many questions. It is this drive and ambition that got me to where I am, attending one of the best nursing schools in the country and working at the best hospital in the country. But along the way, the best becomes a little less valuable to me when I am not able to be in the moment celebrating my little moments of triumph and happiness.

Another thing I learn from yoga is the art of balance. Too much of one thing isn't great for you and sometimes harmful. Finding balance in life can be just as hard as doing a tree pose. It requires just as much breathe work and focus to create and maintain that pose. Sometimes, when I lose balance, I'll take a moment to put my footing down, breathe, and focus again. 

Today, I remind myself to work on my tree pose.