As many of you know, practicing yoga is a big part of my life. It’s something I not only enjoy doing but also need in my life. Being on the road, yoga is not the easiest to practice. Sure, I can do yoga on my own and do some yoga moves (all I really need is an open space), but practicing yoga is beyond the physical movement. I’ve gained so much from yoga classes, beyond the physical and mental strength. The things that I’ve learned in yoga have made some things in life easier to understand. Being in one city for 2+ weeks now, I’ve had a chance to squeeze in a few classes and started thinking about how yoga classes have helped me change my attitude towards life. Here are top 6 things I’ve learned from my yoga practices so far:
1) If you let your ego get in the way and push yourself to impress others, you’ll just end up hurting yourself. If you are forcing your leg to stretch out further because you want to show off to the rest of the class how good you are, you are going to hurt yourself. If you are working hard and pushing yourself to show off to others and aren’t listening to your own needs, you’ll end up harming nobody else but you and your own happiness.
2) You cannot grow and be comfortable at the same time because growing requires you to get out of your comfort zone. Doing a yoga move, stretching out your hamstrings, holding your chaturanga; these are all really uncomfortable but you know it will make you stronger and more flexible. If you want to grow, you need to get out of your comfort zone. And if you keep pushing yourself a little by little, there’s nothing you can’t do.
3) Learn to appreciate the opportunity to do nothing. Sometimes, laying in shavasna can be uneasy and stressful. That’s because your mind is rushing and telling you all the things you have to do. It’s our fear of missing out, our constant need to achieve something. But, it’s ok to take a break once in a while and let yourself do nothing. And when you are given the opportunity to do nothing at all, take it and enjoy it. Everything will still be the same.
4) You might not be able to achieve it today, but you might tomorrow. It’s ok to not be able to do that hand stand today. It’s ok if crow pose isn’t working for you today. It’s ok if you didn’t get everything on your list done today. It’s ok… just try again tomorrow.
5) Each move has a purpose, don’t rush to get to the final pose. The reason I love vinyasa is because one move flows to the other and preps you to get to the final pose, just like how life comes in steps and you need to take it a step at a time. Enjoy the ride, don’t rush and you’ll perfect that final pose.
6) Don’t forget to breath. When you are doing a difficult move, you’ll realize you are holding your breath. I do that often until I remember to breathe. Not breathing is just making it harder for yourself. If you surrender to the pose and remember to do the most basic and fundamental thing, such as breathing, the pose becomes so much easier. When you are stressed, faced with challenges, and are frustrated, just breathe. It’s already happening, don’t make it harder on yourself.
