September: The Opportunity to #Recenter

In our already-busy lives, it’s easy to get pulled in many directions—work deadlines, family responsibilities, and the constant buzz of the digital world.

But recently, here in the Philippines, many of us also carry the weight of a turbulent political landscape. The news cycle can stir up feelings of frustration, anger, fatigue, and even helplessness. Even I myself am having an extra difficult time returning to my inner balance, and rightfully so, like every citizen navigating the current events. Often, we don’t even notice we’ve drifted until we feel overwhelmed, scattered, or disconnected from ourselves.

Recentering Through Asana

These days, I have resorted to a quiet yoga practice in the morning: nothing grand, just a few moments to ground, followed by the Surya sequence, and sometimes, I add in a mix of the Warriors or seated twists. No set sequence, no thinking, no YouTube or yoga class—just listening to the silence before chaos from the world comes crashing again.

On the mat, recentering begins with the breath. Before moving into any posture, we pause to feel the ground beneath us, allowing the inhale and exhale to gather us back home. In asana practice, poses that invite grounding and balance are especially helpful for this:

• Mountain Pose (Tadasana): Standing tall, feeling both feet rooted, spine lifted. A reminder that stillness can be strength.

• Tree Pose (Vrksasana): Balancing on one leg with focus and presence. Wobbles aren’t failures—they’re part of learning to return to center again and again.

• Child’s Pose (Balasana): Folding inward to reconnect with the breath, offering the nervous system a reset.

• Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana): A quiet gesture of turning inward, lengthening the spine and softening the mind.

These postures remind us that recentering doesn’t mean achieving perfection—it means noticing when we’ve drifted and gently guiding ourselves back. Maybe you can add your favorite asana here as well, with your own interpretation of what it may represent for you.

Carrying It Off the Mat

What we cultivate in asana naturally extends into our daily lives. When we practice balance in Tree Pose, we learn patience with ourselves when things don’t go as planned. When we fold into Child’s Pose, we remember the importance of pausing rather than pushing through.

Recentering off the mat might look like:

• Pausing before reacting in a difficult conversation.

• Taking a breath before making a big decision.

• Stepping away from screens to realign with your intentions for the day.

• Noticing the body’s signals—tension, fatigue, or unease—and responding with care.

In times when the world feels divided and uncertain, these small practices of returning inward can be powerful acts of resilience. Each time we come back to ourselves, we create space for clarity, calm, and compassion.

A Zen Story on Recentering

I haven't been teaching yoga classes (because I've been more focused on Pilates lately), but those of you who have attended a yoga class that I've subbed or taught this year, you know I share a short Zen story before closing the session. So here's one for you today.

A Zen student once asked his master, “Master, what is the way?”

The master replied, “Walk on.”

The student pressed, “But what if I stumble?”

The master said, “Walk on.”

The student, confused, asked again, “But what if I lose the path?”

The master smiled, “Walk on.”

This reminds us that the way of recentering is not about never stumbling or never straying.

It is about noticing, returning, and continuing—one mindful step at a time.

May you always find your way back to center, no matter how far you drift.

Walk on, Treehouse Yogis. ✨

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