Time Traveler [Personal Narrative]
Time is a tricky thing.
And if we live long enough, we face more experiences and stories about death and divorce than ever anticipated and expected. The truth is time never agrees to move backwards and it is always moving forward. It ebbs and flows nonlinearly, and if we are keenly aware and present, we can travel it in an intentional way, so that it is stacked with experiences and people and places and things that make our time on earth full and unique.
As perceivers and dwellers of the outside world, it can be argued that we only have a conceptual grip of time. Ancient civilizations, such as the Romans, determined that we should refer to orbits of celestial bodies for units of change known as ‘days’, ‘months’, and ‘years’. Now we track transitions to reflect more-precise units of change through the modern clock, which means for most of us, a smart phone or apple watches for personal convenience.
“The present is all we have to live in. Or to lose.” - Marcus Aurelius
With age comes wisdom and what I have learned more than anything, albeit cliche, yesterday is over and tomorrow has not come. And as Marcus Aurelius said, “The present is all we have to live in. Or to lose.” Living in the present takes practice and through the hard facts of science, teachings of Buddha and mechanics of yoga, I have become more agile in my body and aware of time in my brain, most specifically the now. When I first engaged in a yoga practice, I was perhaps as clumsy and as unsure as any other beginner. It was 1999 and I was living in San Francisco with my cousin Kyle and his partner Ben for the summer. At a posh club, as they played tennis, I took yoga lessons. And my first memory of being in downward dog was, “Wow, those gay guys’ tennis legs!” Class by class, I learned the physical movement of one breath per pose, sequencing and mostly, the fluctuation and contraction of time and space.
Gary Zukav, known for his exploration of quantum physics and spiritual growth, often emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment, viewing it as a vast and intricate tapestry of experiences waiting to be explored. Gary Zukav suggests that the present moment is a rich and dynamic space, brimming with possibilities and opportunities for growth and connection. It is a course of potential, if you will. “We do have today and this moment this breath. We can not only start but engage there.” Gary Zukav
“We do have today and this moment this breath. We can not only start but engage there.” - Gary Zuka
As we go through life, may we not chase the past or make expectations in the future. May we truly be present. What is past is left behind; that experience or occurrence is over now. The future is yet to come, no matter how much we wring our hands or toss and turn at night. May we work in the present moment to make our past better and our future better. Instead of aimlessly wandering through time, may we consciously be aware of the now and set an intention to travel it, being keenly aware and living each day in a way where we never look back.
