Lessons in Detachment

Photo via Pinterest.

I am learning how to detach from outcomes of my actions. As I'm sure you can imagine, this is not an easy thing to do. It is a slow process, an undoing of the way society teaches us to think.

Recently I went for a run and finished, sweaty and out of breath, excited to check the Cardio Trainer app on my phone for my final time. I've been trying to quicken my pace, so I was eager to see if I'd hit the 10:00 per mile mark I have been aiming for.

Photo by T. Libertiny.

When I checked my phone, I realized I hadn't clicked the right button at the start of the run. Nothing was recorded. I had no way of knowing my speed or distance.

Bummer, I thought, shaking my head. I wanted to know what I'd accomplished, so I could tell my brother about my great pace, or maybe post to Facebook about my successful run. I was attached to the outcome instead of simply being grateful for the chance to exercise on a beautiful afternoon.

Photo by T. Libertiny.

So often we become fixated on the outcome of an experience that we lose out on the experience itself. I love that every time I roll out my mat, I engage in an opportunity to let go of the fruits of the practice, and simply to experience each moment as it is. Each asana is an offering, a surrender.

How are you learning detachment in your yoga practice, or in your life?