Sunday reflection

 

Daily Reflection – Escape or Embrace

This morning I rose at 3:00 AM, and by 3:05 I was already on the yoga mat. At 3:33, I found myself deep in the rhythm of breath, push-ups, and asanas. In the stillness of that practice, the message came: yoga is not a rush — it is a journey.

After meditation, I went for a jog, chanting as I moved, before stepping into church. The readings from Numbers, Jeremiah, Philippians, and John echoed something I already knew before I arrived: the choice is always between escape and presence.

For me, escape never came through drinking or smoking. My path has always been meditation, yoga, and long-distance running. Over the years — through 66,000 miles of running, daily meditation, and constant study — my tolerance for pain and emotion has transformed. What once hurt, now teaches. What once weighed heavy, now dissolves into calm.

People sometimes wonder why I don’t appear sad, even in hardship. The truth is, I have passed through that stage. Sobriety, discipline, and years of practice have taught me to find happiness within. My survival mode is not despair — it is peace.

Today, I realize my role is to teach rather than to be frustrated when others don’t understand. Life has taught me how to surrender, how to be still, how to heal. And so the word for today is: Meditation.

Instead of escaping — sit still. Instead of numbing — breathe. Instead of running away — run toward the universe within.

Peace.