Coming home.

In this edition I’d like to share a real story with you about
anxiety, relief and grounding down to a new beginning.

It’s a story about being stressed out, letting go and starting over.

It happened more than 15 years ago when I was still doing my studies for my yoga certification.
Back at that time I chose for a three year study.  It involved me flying to Italy, to Soiano del Lago where our teacher Dona Holleman held the course.

I have a history with airports, flights and things not going according to plan during travels! Many people think of me as being very organized and planning ahead…which is mostly true, but let me rob you of that illusion at least for that occasion!

On that morning I had my ticket, but could not find my passport where I thought it ought to be…

So the day started with frantic search for the document.

I had calculated to arrive just about in  time the air port… but had not left a margin.-)

You feel it coming!

At the airport, there was an unexpected gate change at departures

I ran with all my stuff to the gate where it I thought I was supposed to be.

Wrong gate. AHHHH!

My passport fell down, someone picked it up and brought it to me, I ran on …..

I was in shere panic, my mouth was dry as a desert and I was panting like a dog as I finally ran towards THE check-in where I needed to be….

Just to see the doors of the air-plane closing, the gang-way was rolling away and …it was too late.

I had missed the plane.

Let me tell you I have a reocurring night mare featuring just this scenario in many different ways…being too late to catch the bus, the plane, missing my entrance on stage ….you name it.

Here it was reality.

My body was full of adrenaline, stress, anxiety, my heart was beating like a drum as I saw the plane disappear into the horizon – without me.

Ah.

Now comes the turning point:

I let go.

Of course I needed to book another ticket for a new flight that would get me to Italy on the same day.

And so I did.
400 euros as far as I remember. -)

But frankly: I did not care about the money then.

All I cared about was my peace of mind.

To have inner peace and calmness inside.

So what is the ticket to inner peace?

Yes, you get it, it’s not an air-plane to fly to heaven- it’s the yoga mat to ground down.

I went back to the departure hall, to the waiting area.

Then choose a place to be…
and rolled out my mat

Side note: one of the shop owners first came to me with a frowned fore head and an angry complaint: he thought I was a nuisance and just wanted to plunge down at the side of his shop to sleep.

Needless to say when I simply started my practice he shut up –  and actually appreciated my presence there very much!

to practice
to breathe deeply.
to trust in the ability of the body to calm down.

That was the ticket to the state of bliss, right there in the waiting area of the air port.

And the funny thing was:

people around me were affected by the calmth and the sense of space and peace  radiating there and then from that practice.

It totally changed around from the frantic hunt to be on time – and actually missing the moment-

to being exactly where you need to be!
maybe later than you thought you would,
with peace of mind and a calm spirit!

Conclusion: what did I take from that?

Obviously the nuts and bolts of practicality:

have your passport ready-  !!!

check the gate – on time.

plan a marging to go to the airport – very useful -)

AND

even more important energetically:

– trust that at any point in any circumstance you can let go, calm down and start over

– there will be always another opportunity

– don’t be held back by the judgement of other people

– do what you believe in!

It might inspire other people to do the same!