Lead with the heart

I never realized how much insight could come from yoga.

I really enjoy yoga, because it helps me to relax and forget about some of the stress in my life. I don't even let myself feel guilty when I modify certain poses or skip parts of sequences. I still can't follow the whole breathing pattern of it, and I'm really not that skilled at all (though I've really mastered the tree pose, so watch out there). I would like to go to classes more often, and this morning was actually the first time I went in months.

And I'm really glad I did, because I was reminded of a life truth that I don't think the teacher even knew she was preaching.

Toward the end of class, we were all sitting on our mats and doing some stretch whose name I don't remember and probably would never pronounce correctly, anyway. You had to lean forward, and the instructor wanted to make sure we were keeping our postures and not sinking our shoulders, so she said, "Lead with the heart."

Enter my new life motto.

Don't be deceived--I drew this.

I sat there thinking about it (yes, neglecting the next few steps of my "practice" as the instructor called it), and that simple sentence makes such perfect sense. The heart has to be the guiding force. The more I sat there and thought about it, the more I realized just how much I want to "lead with the heart."

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul wrote: "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts though faith" (Ephesians 3:16-17). So, essentially, if Christ is in your heart, and you lead with the heart, then Christ is truly the one leading you.

And that's exactly as it should be.

I've always loved the concept of doing things with the heart, but it took on such a deeper meaning for me today. In all I do, I want to "lead with the heart" so that there will never be any doubt for whom I am living. Just as leading with the heart in yoga helps a person keep proper posture, leading with the heart in life also allows people to stay upright and not have to worry about what effects will ensue. After all, when you're letting your heart lead the way, you have the ultimate One guiding you with every step you take.

I'm never going to be the best student in any yoga class. I'm not very flexible, I cheat on some of the moves, and my favorite part is at the very end when you lie on your back and close your eyes to reach the highest point of relaxation of the class (for me, anyway). But, I know that if I lead with my heart I will at least be doing my best to make the most of the class.

I'm never going to be the best person to walk this earth. I mess up a lot of the time, I struggle to make decisions (especially important ones), and I can't even cut in a straight line when I'm using scissors. But, I know that if I lead with my heart I don't need to fret about anything, because I'm being led by the only One I need.

I knew I needed that yoga class this morning. I might have butchered the Warrior I and Warrior II poses, but at least I took away the most important thing that happened in that class: "Lead with the heart."