I have many friends who find life’s delicious gifts in the accessories they can collect. There is the friend who admitted that going back to work full time was due in part for her love of shoes, there is another friend who claims an affinity for satchels, and then there is me who finds all sorts of reasons to take amenities to my mat and that of my students with prop accessories—blocks, straps, bolsters, lacrosse balls…But there are three accessories that we all need to have at the ready.
Of all the items we each possess there are three that come to mind as essential—as accessories that go with everything and truly enable you to go anywhere. Your Attitude. Your Breath. Your Compassion.
If our attitudes are open and accepting then even in the face of challenge and stress, even in the light of worry and pain, we can overcome the temporary set backs. We can understand that our greatest armor is that which dresses our attitudes and helps us overcome obstacles in both our body and our mind.
If we consciously practice our breath with the awareness that it is not just an automated function but a reliable source of power, then we have more than just a handy tool in our accessory drawer. We have an instrument that heals.
If we practice on the mat and off the mat with compassion that encompasses both our individual well being and the well being of others, then we are not only strong; we are not only wiser; we are complete.
As you go about your world today…no doubt you will have to pick up an item or two to complete your ensemble of being ready for work or working out, but pause during this day and see if you have toted along your beautiful attitude, your healing breath, your generous compassion. It is more long lasting than a handbag and more durable than a hand tool and you will, to quote Billy Crystal, look simply marvelous.