One of my first yoga teachers, Michael Cooper, had a playful way of teaching. In the midst of a pose, he’s stop, look confused and ask “What time is it?” During my very first class with him, I looked up at the clock and said “It’s 1:30.”

The experienced yogis in the room chuckled. He asked again, a little louder: “What time is it?” After a beat, the yoga veterans all said in unison “Now!”

This was ten years ago, but every single time someone asks me what time it is, I think of that expression. No matter where I am, it brings me back to his message: Presence of mind. At first, it was helpful when my muscles shook and balance tottered in Warrior III, but now it helps me when I’m in traffic or standing in line at the grocery store.

I like to think of these ingrained reminders I’ve gathered over the years as my very own Yoga Jingle, a spiritual twist on those advertising tunes that we can’t get our of our heads. Instead of urging me to consume, however, my jingle reminds me to stay calm, stay present, and remember that everything is unfolding just as it should.

We want to know:
What’s your Yoga Jingle?
How do you use it in your everyday life?

Nora Isaacs is a Bay Area-based health writer and editor.

Read the whole story on:http://blogs.yogajournal.com/yogabuzz/