I teach some faculty at Georgetown University Yoga and the other day we were leaving the class together and walking through the campus. There was a lot of activity going on as students are about to start their new season of classes. I asked the faculty earlier in yoga class if they had felt the change in the season today? Not just the busy campus but that you could sense the beginning of Fall and change in the air. They looked at me like I was crazy. “Its still hot out – feels like summer to me”.

As we left together and walked though the campus I asked them to smell the air. “Do you smell that?” We stopped and looked at some trees. The leaves are starting to change color and dry for Fall. The sun seems to be setting sooner today. By pausing and stopping to notice we could feel change happening. Often though we are too busy to stop and feel it.

When you can feel an experience though it takes you away from the busy thinking mind and lets us just be in that moment. Not avoiding but just let ourselves be a witness to it. We improve our ability to be aware more and with that our senses are able to communicate to our mind/brain past the reptilian response that we live in; I call it brain exercise. If you don’t use it you loose it. You loose the ability in the brain function. Which I see in many in little ways – forgetting which side is their left or right.

Beyond the asana that I taught the faculty that day, I was so glad that we had that walk in campus together to improve our awareness and feel that moment. Was amazing!