A thought to unfold…

Jay Shetty had Noah Kahan on his podcast the other day, and at one point he asked Noah: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Noah answered in five words: Be where your feet are.

Sounds simple enough, right? But not always easy. So often, we’re everywhere but here. Stuck somewhere in the past, or running ahead, worrying about what-ifs and what’s to come. But in doing so, we miss the moments as we’re living them.

Your life isn’t happening somewhere else, my friends.

It’s happening right here.

Inspiration is everywhere…

When Jay was talking with Noah, a lot of what they got into was mental health (the episode is amazing, btw, give it a listen).

Noah talked about this pressure to keep up, to keep producing, to keep becoming something, to do it right.

And I think most of us live there, too, sometimes…at least a little. We think about what’s next, or where we should be. What we should have done, or how we could be doing it better. It’s like a constant search for some figurative stamp of approval.

For me, I think that’s the beautiful thing about yoga. It’s a practice of being where our feet are. That’s it. To be in the now. Fully present. Not looking backward, not rushing ahead, just right here.

So many people come to yoga thinking it’s about getting somewhere. Getting stronger, stretchier, more flexible. Better. But if you stay with it long enough, you realize it’s not really about getting anywhere at all. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

The entire point is to be right where you are. Yes, even when it’s uncomfortable or messy or your mind is somewhere else. Even when the to-do list is a mile long.

So if you ever notice yourself drifting—whether it’s on your mat or in the real practice of life—just come back. Come back to your breath. Feel your feet on the earth. Come back to this moment, come back to yourself.

Thoughts for practice…

Journal Prompts

Pick one or two that speak to you—or move through them all.

Where in my life am I physically present but mentally somewhere else?
What pulls me out of the present moment most often—regret, worry, pressure, distraction?
What does “being where my feet are” look like for me right now?
Where am I rushing ahead instead of allowing myself to be here?
What moment in my life am I afraid to fully feel?
When do I feel most grounded, steady, and connected to myself?
What helps me come back when I drift?
If I trusted that this moment was enough, how would I move differently today?
What is one place in my life asking for my full presence right now?
Fill in the blank: I return to myself when...

Before you begin…

Gently close the windows of your eyes. Feel the weight of your body being held then bring awareness to the soles of your feet. Notice where they meet the earth and how bringing awareness to that connection brings you back to the present moment.

Take a slow inhale through the nose. Long exhale out the mouth, allowing yourself to completely empty. Do it again.

Tell yourself: I am here.

Then begin writing.

Reflections for your practice

The next time you step onto your mat, ask yourself:

What changes when I stay with this moment instead of rushing toward the next one? What can I notice here?
Can I feel my feet, my breath, my body?
Where has my mind wandered, can I use my breath to come back?
Can I be with what’s here without needing it to be different?

Every time we come to our mat is an invitation to practice presence. To be here fully.

We use the connection of breath and movement as a way back: back to the moment, back to awareness, back to now.

And every time we drift, we use our breath to come back again, and again, and again.

Yoga isn’t asking us to be more or get somewhere else. It’s inviting us to be here now.

Take this with you…

We spend so much of life looking backward or forward that we miss the moments as we’re living them. What’s the point of obsessing over what could have been or what might be… if when life arrives, we’re not even there for it?

Your life isn’t somewhere else. It’s here. You’re in it. This is it.