Kate Taylor's Yoga Site

Today was the last day of practice at the Shala, which will be closed from now until January. After class, folks started saying their goodbyes and then headed off to further adventures or home to friends and family.

Jennifer, Leena, and Mauricio all left today. While I feel sad that my time with them is over for now, I am certain I will see them again and am so thankful for getting to know them as well as the others with whom I have spent so much time during the past month.

The experience of living in Mysore, practicing at the shala and sharing my days with other yogis has been cathartic for me. While I cannot point to any single event that changed me the most, the sum of events and their impact will stay with me always.

One of the things that strikes me most about being here has been the experience of living in the moment and just "being present." The laid back, unplanned days I spent hanging around with friends and deciding what to do on a whim were more than just idle time. The days I spent "doing nothing" taught me the importance of slowing down and enjoying the company of the people around me. Those who know me well will remember "busy Kate" who ate at her desk and rushed from meeting to meeting. My friend Steve would sometimes start conversations by asking me to which Kate he was speaking - if I was in" Busy Kate" mode he would know that I had no time or patience for chit-chat. Even my Mom was afraid to call me during business hours because I gave off the vibe that I was too busy to talk to her. Pretty sad.

I hope that I have permanently put Busy Kate to rest. While I realize I cannot spend my whole life just pracicing yoga and lazing on pillows and talking about life, I do hope that I can find a way to make my friends and family, as well as my practice, a real priority.