A week of practicing yoga and contemplation at Present Moment Retreat led me to today’s reflection in which I considered how divorce  mediation and yoga are amazingly similar…..why wouldn’t they be similar?  Both improve substantially….and even require…. the practitioner to stay in the “Present Moment”!  Yoga and divorce  mediation have both been around for centuries and have many  different models……but there seem to be many similarities, it is no  wonder I am drawn to both.

According to Wikipedia “Yoga” comes from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’ meaning to yoke, join or unite. Today I learned that yoga actually means  “concentration”….. which ultimately leads to unity and liberation.  This tidbit was told to me by Ryan Kelly, one of the exceptional yoga instructors on staff at Present Moment Retreat; (Ryan also managed to release an extremely painful knot from my lower back area…but this is another story!).

Eight days of yoga…five different practice instructors…never the same practice…all about concentration and unity…….How is it similar to DIVORCE MEDIATION? 

To name a few……………….

Yoga practice depends  on:

Instructor and Participants

Needs of the Participants

Emotional state of the Participants

Goals of the Participants

Instructor’s intuitive ability to sense what process best serves the Participants that day

Time of day

Training background of the instructor

Knowledge and ability of the participants and the instructor

Divorce Mediation depends  on:

Divorce Mediator

Clients

Needs of the Clients

Emotional state of the Clients

Goals of the Clients

Mediator’s  intuitive ability to sense what process best serves the Cliens that day

Time of day

Training background of the mediator

Knowledge and ability of the mediator as well as the clients

Many other similarities could be listed……both practices take concentration and effort…leading to unity/agreement….and ultimately liberation!  I invite you to let me know your thoughts and join in the discussion..in the mea time….I am going to take my last restorative yoga class and be in the Present Moment!

~Debra