Leave the Residue Behind!

In a recent yoga class, the instructor asked us to feel the ‘residue’ as we stood in Uttanasana (forward fold) left behind from a particularly challenging vinyasa flow she just put us through. It struck me odd at first, but then as I stood there feeling the burning in my right thigh dissipate slowly, I began to think about the rest of the ‘residue’ we deal within our everyday lives. How do I handle the residue left behind from others and how is it that my own residue affects others?

Last night, Mother Nature blessed us with her glorious wintry mix of snow and ice. I woke up this morning to a winter wonderland – which, by the way, doesn’t happen too often in my part of the country. The sun was beginning to rise as the rest of my family was in deep slumber. I donned on my hat, and coat and set out to experience the stillness of the morning. I don’t know why the world seems a little more peaceful with a blanket of newly fallen snow. As I stepped onto my driveway, I felt my foot sink about three inches and heard the old familiar sound of crunchiness of the perfect snow. (I was born and raised in the Midwest!) I thought to myself, “What perfect snow to build a snowman! ” The only other footprints I saw were from a squirrel that had scurried up the tree in my front lawn.

As I stood there looking back at my footpath in the snow, I was reminded of the ‘residue’ that we continually leave in our lives. What kind of residue in my life had I left that others have had to feel and deal with? I have gotten better over the years to watch my tongue before saying something sarcastic or hurtful. I am reminded how quickly hurtful remarks can roll off of one’s tongue as I’ve listened to my own children argue with each other. As I continued walking down the snow-covered sidewalk, I became acutely aware of the fresh footsteps I was making. Isn’t life kind of like that, too? Each step I took was a new and perfect footprint that only I could make. Looking back on my path, I thought, “Were my footsteps evenly spaced and perfect? Perhaps no, but I walked the best that I could down this path. As I stood there looking ahead, I thought to myself, “I could be fearful of messing up this beautiful, untouched snow in front of me, or I could make a conscious effort to make my footprints (i.e., residue), with integrity.

So, what type of ‘residue’ will you leave behind today?