How do you return to home?

My cue, my little word to bring my mind back from the clutter of thoughts is, Home.

- Annie Carpenter

I am sitting on a pair of cushions borrowed from the couch in my little flat in Vienna. My mind is busy with to-dos and don't-forgets, but I again try to quiet. I open my eyes and see an old wall covered in very happy ivy. Last night the thunder and lightning and persistent rain, which kept me indoors, has fed and delighted the ivy; this morning it is shimmering, as if lit from within.

My cue, my little word to bring my mind back from the clutter of thoughts is, Home. As I write, I sense the irony: I am, and have been most of my life, a traveler, often away from home. On this trip alone, already I have slept in a 4th bed on day 12 of 22 days away.

Home. Even without speaking it aloud, it evokes the feeling and vibrations of our beloved chant, “OM.” And it guides me to the feeling of home: comfort, relaxation, safety. I think of my partner and cats, my yoga room and meditation cushion, but also the view from that room, on that cushion. I remember the familiar that is at once typical and expected, yet always shifting: with the seasons, the time and light of the day, the various birds flitting about on their fountain in the yard.

I remember that home is always changing. I know that Home is not.  I remember that true home is not a place filled with beloveds, but a place, a feeling, inside. Here, I remember the constant within the change; here I remember the light when the world seems so very dark. 

It is the why I Yoga. Yes, it is so nice to look after my body and breath. It is amazing to know how to focus and sustain that. It is remarkable to have a community of people who share this path, to feel accepted and known. To have and build the faith that I can reliably come Home even in the most difficult moments nurtures and fuels my practice. To Return to Home with ease as needed is the gift.

… How do you return to Home?