#Yoga and #Farming are both teaching me ...Letting go, Endurance and Going within.

In the middle of harvest Howard stopped the header and joined me in Sydney for the final Dru Yoga teacher training graduation. Our four daughters came along as well, together with my parents. Mum and I completed the 3 year course together and as we participated in the Dru Vitality Sequence with our fellow graduates, I felt happy for my mum and happy for my daughters who were witnessing both their mother and grandmother becoming Dru yoga teachers at the same time. It was a very special day that I will never forget.

Now we are home again and harvest is going really well. Although I am going to miss studying it is great to be able to focus on helping on the farm even more. Yoga is a part of my life now though and I take my mat onto the front lawn each morning and go through the yoga postures that feel fabulous on the day. Reaching high and sweeping around I enjoy the mild morning sun and the birds in the garden. My body feels fit and flexible, as does my mind. My hamstring muscles are gently encouraged to let go a little further, the tightness across my back from all the traveling releases, I breathe deeply and smile.

There are three points of focus that are really helpful when practicing yoga. The first is the ability to let go. We hold so much tension and so many thoughts that are not very useful. It is so nice to decide to be in the present moment and enjoy the space and the gorgeous weather while stretching, holding, strengthening and releasing all over.

My next point of focus is endurance, willpower and concentration. I hold the plank for a while longer and extend the yoga practice to an hour despite a long to do list waiting inside. Extra effort is made without straining my body. It feels fabulous to achieve, even on the yoga mat.

The third aspect of yoga I also enjoy is going within. We can live our life reacting to all the things going on around us. We are influenced by the moods and behaviors of others, the unpredictable outcomes we have no control over, the unexciting parts of a day that can drag us down. But when we can ‘go within’, we can live with a different perspective. Inside us all is a complete and whole self, it is steady, strong, worthy and capable. We can learn to sense this during a yoga practice or even when focusing on the breath. It is the still point within and being aware of this is probably the greatest benefit of all. I can tap into a contented feeling, no matter what is going on.

This practice only takes an hour and the benefits are enjoyed all day. I pack Howards lunch and head out into the paddock. The wheat is stripping well. The weather is mild and we appreciate the clear warm days. I climb in the header with Howard and the air conditioning isn’t working. The air is heavy and full of dust. The box of wheat overflows onto the ground while we are talking.  I am in the way on the small seat next to Howard, as the men try to line up the machinery and unload the grain. I make an excuse and head back home. Our accountant rings and its time to get back into doing what I do best.

By midday it is still and peaceful outside, with only the rumbling of a truck  in the distance. There is a synchronicity as everyone works together in a friendly manner. The days are long but there is such a sense of purpose and patience. The person driving the header goes around and around in focused concentration as the crop is harvested. The chaser bin driver waits until the header is full and then catches the grain. The truck driver waits in the paddock for a full load, which is delivered load by load by the chaser bin driver in the tractor. The truck driver then travels to the main silo storage facility for some more waiting, as all of the trucks line up, ready to deliver the grain to the silos and get back to the paddock before the chaser bins are full again.

 There is a lot of letting go of what isn’t worth worrying about and a whole lot of endurance out there in the paddocks. And as for going within, I don’t think anyone could keep in this farming industry without a deep awareness of how capable and resilient they truly are.