Lately I have been thinking a lot about how my newly entered “adult” life never seems to let up, just throwing one challenge after another – leaving me anxious and on edge. So last week I tried to find a few moments in my relentless schedule to take a chance to do some yoga.  I went through the series of Bikram poses growing tired and sore from the exercise that I had strayed one for too long, and was relieved when I eventually settled into child’s pose.

As a sat there lying on the ground with my arms outstretched and my body sinking into the floor I thought about how satisfying sitting there in that moment was. Sitting there in child’s pose is where I came to the realization that that very moment represented the approach I needed to be taking in my hectic life. Child’s pose is not particularly special on its own, if you were to rest in the pose right now there would be nothing stand out or spectacularly relaxing about the moment. But after a rigorous hour of challenging poses and pushing your limits, Child’s pose offers a moment of refuge and peace that awards you for the hour of hard work.

That is life I realized. Finding complete and utter peace in the smallest moments, knowing that those moments are only satisfying because of all the hard work that lead up to them. Life is no longer about waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel, its about enjoying the tiny beacons of light along the way and knowing that you are chugging always forward to the next destination. A cup of coffee on the walk to class. Lunch with a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. A manicure. These are the child’s poses that I have been overlooking lately. The precious moments of reprieve amidst the insanity of this crazy, wonderful, scary, life. These moments may be fleeting, but remember that they are only powerful because of all of the hard work that preceded them.

In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

Khalil Gibran