What does “bliss” mean to you?

Five years ago, if you’d asked me what bliss looks like, it probably would have been an image of me in the center of … something. I would have been at a book signing, the front of a packed yoga workshop, the cover of a magazine. I cringe a little writing that, but I’ve always been someone who likes to be the center of things. It’s just a personal quality, neither good nor bad in itself, but it has manifested in both good and bad ways in my life.

This past October, I was on a day retreat with many of our students, and during a guided meditation was asked to picture myself living my purpose. I had an 8-month old baby, was trying to conceive another, was hoping the business I’d recently birthed could survive these other births, and was generally hoping I could survive it all. I was the center of far too many things. I was the center of our home, the center of my baby’s world, and the center of our business; heck, I was even the center of the retreat that day.

All I wanted was a backseat. 

I had a vision of myself in a flowing dress and a big smile, watching from the sidelines as those things I had birthed thrived and served as platforms for others to shine. I watched as my husband’s career blossomed, the busiest classes at our studio were led by other teachers, and pictured my kids stealing the show.

It was blissful.

One of the definitions of yoga is the pursuit of divine bliss. It’s natural and healthy for our definitions of bliss to change over time. What served our needs one decade won’t serve our needs the next, and the more we embrace these evolving goals, the more we can ensure we are creating a sustainable, joyful life.

What does bliss mean to you? What role do you play in the most blissful moment of your life? Are you center-stage accomplishing a goal you’ve been working on for years? Or, are you in a supporting role, happily watching as those around you thrive?

Take as many pauses as you can and picture yourself in full bliss. And, no, you don’t get to see yourself on vacation somewhere. Picture bliss in your life, right now, given the constraints of your current situation. What do you see?

Image: Sara Krish, women’s spirituality and leadership trainer, guiding her mentees to bliss. Sara will be with us on 5/12 for our Mothership celebration.