🛼🐾It seemed like a good idea at the time... 🦆🐕

Finding the grace in our "wrong turns."

We’ve all said it. Usually while looking at an over-committed calendar, a project that drained us, a failed relationship, a haircut we regret, a "shortcut" that left us hopelessly lost.

Or, if you were 11-year-old me in the spring of 1981, it was going roller-skating with your dog and somehow ending up under a bus.

In my defence, I only put my dog on her lead as we neared the main road of the quiet village we lived in.

How was I to know that at the exact moment the express coach came through, the local ducks would decide to take an excursion from the pond?

The photo, obviously isn't me.

There is no video evidence, thank goodness—this was 1981, long before everyone carried recording instruments.

Just a memory of a spectacular, duck-induced blunder and a very clear thought:

"It seemed like a good idea at the time."

I used to look back on that story—and many of my adult choices—with a groan and a roll of my eyes.

But after 30 years on the yoga mat, I've learned to laugh at those moments a bit more.

They are just part of the scenery on this human journey.

At any given moment, we are all simply doing the absolute best we can with the awareness we have right then.

When we make a choice that leaves us exhausted overwhelmed, or feeling completely off-track, we aren't failing—we are simply a soul trying to find happiness, peace, or security in a temporary fix.

We are looking for Sat Chit Ananda (Ever-new Bliss) in the busyness of the world.

Paramhansa Yogananda was so beautiful on this topic. He said:

"The past is gone; it can no longer harm you. If you have made mistakes, forget them. They are only your 'bad habits' of the past, but they are not you."

He also reminded us:

"A saint is a sinner who never gave up."

When we are caught in the relentless momentum of daily life, our energy naturally gets scattered outward through the senses.

We react to every bit of outer stimulation and busyness, getting so lost in the "doing" that we lose our grounding.

In the R.E.A.L. method, we talk about the Soul Spiral.

Your path isn't a straight line.

Sometimes it feels like you're looping backward or sliding down, but if you keep breathing and keep practising, you realise that wide curve is actually carrying you inward, back to your centre.

The R.E.A.L. way to find self-grace doesn't require a massive lifestyle overhaul.

It’s just a gentle, deliberate shifting of your energy before you sleep:

1. Rest: Put down the mental whip. Stop the inner commentary and the "what-ifs." Take a deep breath and recognise that the past version of you was just doing their best. Drop out of the analytical mind and let the senses rest.
2. Ease & Energise: Move out of that rigid, tense state and let your body soften. Let go of the need to manage everything for just a few moments. By bringing your focus completely back to the now, you stop your energy from leaking into past regrets.
3. Align & Aware: Ask yourself: "What was my soul actually looking for when I made that choice?" (Usually, it’s just love, peace, or security). Then, gently withdraw your energy from the outward demands of the world. Redirect that flow inward, down into the spine and upward to the Spiritual Eye—your true inner sanctuary of peace.
4. Live & Let Go: Step into the rest of your evening feeling grounded. If God and the Masters don't hold your past blunders against you, why on earth should you?

Tonight, as you lay your head down and the house goes quiet, give yourself permission to let it all go.

Say to yourself: "It seemed like a good idea at the time. I am a different person now. I am free."

With light and love,

Linda

30+ Years of Yoga Wisdom

P.S. Ready to start fresh tomorrow?

If you feel the weight of a busy week sitting in your shoulders tonight, you don't have to carry it into tomorrow. My 15-Minute R.E.A.L. Digital Audio is designed for moments exactly like this.

It’s a quiet space to help you withdraw from the noise, reset your nervous system, and step into tomorrow with a clear, steady posture. It is like a "Reset" button for your soul.

[The recording is waiting for you in the Sanctuary Library - please drop me a message if you need help finding it]