Sunday afternoon thoughts from a cafe in Norfolk, Virginia

     It's only been a couple weeks since I departed Costa Rica, but feels like ages ago. Amazing how a change in scenery can quickly shift the mind.  Leaving wonderful places, Costa Rica being no exception, is often difficult for us.  We come back to our lives full of everyday responsibilities filled with joy-thieving activities such as sitting in the DMV waiting for number A593 to flash up on the screen, while the warm tropical glow on our skin slowly starts to fade.  That said, after almost two years being away from home, it feels pretty damn good to be back in Norfolk, even if it's only for a short visit.

     I often hear that stillness is not the removal of activity in the mind, it is the removal of inner conflict ~ that "I wish I was back on the beach." kind of conflict.  It is this internal struggle that causes most of our problems when it comes to living with peace within ourselves.  When we allow what was to fade away, and as we continue to strive to be present, it becomes easier to embrace this process with less resistance.  Living present with mindfulness is such a beautiful thing, yet for some reason many of us get trapped into the falsehood of the past and future.  We allow suffering to endure, yearn for a better future, thus existing in a state of angst and uneasiness. To paraphrase Eckhart Tolle, our pain needs time, a past and a future to exist.  Without past or future our suffering can have no reality.
      Bringing mindfulness to how we live in accordance with the Yama Aparigraha, (non-attachment), as well as the Niyama Santosa (Contentment) can help draw us closer to living with the kind of attention to the present moment that will enable us to live a life fulfilled.
Mind, body, and spirit in the now.  Let go, embrace the beauty of this moment, find your inner Om.