The school year is winding down and I am almost at the end of my tenth year of teaching. Just some exams, some grading and meetings to go before what always feels likes the endless days of summer begin. The other day on my run I was thinking about transitions, planning out a yoga class I would be teaching that morning. I usually have a theme for each class and focus on the physical as well as the psychological manifestations of that theme as it pertains to our everyday lives both on and off the mat. I was pondering the poses and how they would highlight my theme of transitions when 2 dogs burst off of their porch and came charging towards my running partner Luna (see images of my blue-eyed husky mix in previous posts). I had managed to leap ahead to my next activity without completing the one in which I was engaged, mainly the run, and was not paying attention to the present moment. The result was a release of adrenaline and cortisol and a little bit of blood. So often I find myself jumping ahead, already mentally engaged in the next project, the next event, the next school day, and miss the finer details of my life. I avoid the transitional periods, seeking the next step on the journey. I am already in vacation mode, ready to let go of this school year, rushing to the finish line so I can hurry up and slow down, and the result is losing precious moments, that time when the leaves are not quite full, the body is not quite healthy, or the pose is not yet fully expressed. I know that I have issues with many transitions, despite the type. Like my yearly acclimation to summer or winter running, my body needs time and patience to shift from one phase to another. Despite my thorough enjoyment of my unpaid summer break as a teacher (and I still do have to work, writing letters of recommendation, planning curriculum, revising my syllabi and attending professional development) I need to transition to a less hectic mode of living. I still set my alarm, but an hour later than my usual 5am, to complete my daily rituals of running, meditation, and care of both my own body and those of my animal companions. Staying in the present fosters a sense of appreciations for all of my daily moments and allow me to seamlessly shift instead of jamming my self into the next phase of my journey.