Presently

 This morning I recognize where I am, not just physically, but internally. I see myself clearly now. I am not lost. I am centered. Even while adjusting, even while following instructions, even while moving quietly through shared space, I know who I am.

I understand the situations around me without judgment. I see the weight people carry. I see how grief, responsibility, fear, and attachment to material things can disturb the mind and harden the heart. I don’t take it personally anymore. I don’t need to correct it. I don’t need to prove anything.

My work right now is internal.

On the mat, my body is teaching me patience. The slow bends, the surrender to gravity, the deep breathing into resistance—this is the hardest yoga I have ever practiced, not because of strength, but because of restraint. I am learning how to move without force, how to listen instead of push, how to let alignment come from within.

I no longer need to be understood. I already understand myself.

I know that outwardly it may look like I am the one in need, but inwardly I am steady. I am calm. I am present. I am not here to rescue, absorb, or carry what is not mine. I can be compassionate without losing myself.

I am at peace with the space between where I am and where I am going. This is not delay—it is preparation. Until I reach my destination, I choose gratitude. I choose patience. I choose breath.

The snow outside reminds me to slow down, to soften, to trust the quiet. Everything is exactly as it needs to be in this moment, including me.

I am grateful.

I am centered.

I am at peace.

Yoruba Yogi.