Wind In Your Sails

Let’s do a little experiment, shall we? Close your eyes (after reading this next bit, of course) and imagine what it feels like for you to have “the wind in your sails.”

I bet it felt a little easier to breathe. Did you sit up a little taller? Did you feel a little lighter, freer? Do you feel … alive?

Now close your eyes and imagine how it feels to have “the wind knocked out of your sails.” I bet you slumped in your chair, hung your head, and felt a weight sink down in your chest. And did you feel a little dead inside?

I won’t pretend that I know jack doo-doo about sailing but I can gather that it takes some skill and practice to know how to adjust the sails, harness the wind, steer the boat, and actually get somewhere. My only personal experience is with a toy sail boat and it was quite frustrating.

I get it. Life is less than exciting most of the time. The daily grind doesn’t do anything to put wind in your sails. Planning a luxury vacation or home remodel gives me a little lift, then I factor in time and cost and there it goes. Boredom, disappointment, envy, and defeat also knock the wind out of our sails.

When it coming to navigating our boats, some of us are chasing the wind and looking for those things to give us a temporary high. Some of spin in circles, fiddling with the rigging, unable to orient ourselves. Some of us never put the sails back up, and sit idly by.

So what does put wind in your sails? What makes you feel alive even when there is laundry to fold and bills to pay? This is what it means to have life in Christ, life to the fullest. John 10:10 tells us, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Jesus didn’t come to take care of the laundry and make sure no one else had it better than you. He came to show you how to live a life of freedom, joy, and purpose in spite of it all. The thief comes to knock the wind out of our sails. Jesus came to help open our sails and steer our ship.

The boat - our body

The sails - our heart (and lungs)

The sailor - our mind

The wind - Holy Spirit

I love how the practice of yoga and breathing can remind us of what having wind in our sails feels like. It’s a physical practice that helps us embody these spiritual teachings. Opening the places in our that have been constricted and tied down. Working in harmony with our mind, heart, body, and breath in the moments of both stillness and challenge. Opening our sails to a greater capacity for grace and guidance. Knowing how to adjust our sails to the changing winds and remaining on the course set out for us. It’s a practice that reminds you of what it feels like to be fully alive and present.

This pose, Revolved Triangle, didn’t just happen. Sailing a boat doesn’t just happen. Being alive in Christ, doesn’t just happen. It requires practice.

So here’s to finding the wind in your sails and finding yourself coming alive in Christ.