Inspiration
The Quest for Perfection By Karen Lee
“Everything that is happening in your life right now is happening perfectly.” This is what my Yoga teacher often says.
These days I struggle to find comfort in those words when I’m constantly exhausted from endless piles of work and multiple commitments. Finding time for rest seems difficult some days and I find myself wishing things would be better. How could that be perfect, I wonder? Not surprisingly, those words were soon banished to an obscure part of my mind and I never thought about them again until today. I went to a Yoga class this morning – the first in a while. As I settled down on my mat, I thought to myself: “Finally made it! I have to make this the perfect class! I’d better be able to do all the poses, especially the challenging ones!” Unsurprisingly, I started to feel a little stressed. I hummed my first “Om” and felt my body start to relax. Guided by the teacher, I started to flow through the poses. My breath began to deepen and my mind began to settle. Focusing on my breath, my mind did not have the space to wander and so, thoughts of the “perfect” practice melted away. I let my breath guide my body, taking in more to open up tight areas, and letting it work its way through the tension. I did my warriors, dolphins and crows, but who knew if they were “perfect”? All I knew was that I lay in Savasana, feeling completely blessed out and totally relaxed.
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It was pouring as I left class. The usual me would be complaining while trudging home, but today, I felt nothing but calm and a sense of peace. “Ah, what a perfect day!” I thought. Wait, even with this muggy weather? I started to smile, realising the truth in my teacher’s words. We are constantly faced with challenges in life and they often drain our bodies and spirit. No matter how big or small, we tend to focus so much on what is happening to us externally that we forget the one simple truth – whatever life throws at us, it does not change who we are inside. A stressful situation is only as stressful as we perceive it to be. We often give so much power and energy to all that is negative, that we fail to realise it is our reaction to things that make us unhappy. Sure, it is a constant practice keeping a calm mind, and life will always be unpredictable. But each time I begin to panic and feel the stress start to overwhelm me, I take a few (or many) deep breaths and remember those words. And hopefully, with enough practice, I will always be thankful for everything I have, and realise just how perfect my life really is.
About the Author Karen Lee is a banker / aspiring Yoga teacher living in Hong Kong who has been practising Yoga for the past 5 years. Trained with Bryan Kest in Mexico (Power Yoga) and Patrick Creelman in Hong Kong (Anusara). She is inspired by the transformational effects of Yoga and hopes to be able to share it with the world!