WHAT YOGA HAS TAUGHT ME ABOUT LIFE
WELLNESS
WHAT YOGA HAS TAUGHT ME about life
What’s all the fuss about when it comes to yoga? I’ve been asking myself that question for years at-least until this month. My goal for the month of February was to focus on my fitness and wellness. So I decided to sign up for a month of unlimited yoga at my favourite studio yyoga.
Here are the lessons I’ve taken away:
It’s about showing up
Before this month, yoga always made me nervous, I practiced every once in a while and never really saw a huge improvement. After attending three classes a week I learned that growth and improvement comes from showing up consistently.
We all expect to be perfect the first time we do something new which can cause a lot of stress. The reality is that we can’t be perfect at something we’ve never done before, nobody can and no one expects you to be.
Growth comes from showing up frequently, being open to learn and trying our hardest. Every time I go to a class I learn something new from the instructor that I apply to my next class and slowly I can see the change in myself.
This is a lesson I am using to deal with stress in my everyday life. If you’re stressed about being thrust into a new position at work or into a new situation remember that it’s not about being perfect, it’s about showing up, doing your best, learning from your mistakes, learning from the people around you and taking those lessons with you as you move forward.
set an intention
I used to focus on how much time was left in my practice and would basically suffer through a 60 minute hot yoga class counting down the seconds until I could escape the heat. Now I set an intention for the class which keeps me focused.
Sometimes my intention is to show myself how strong I am or that I can commit to something for 60 minutes straight. It changes each time but it helps me through each class and now I thoroughly enjoy and look forward to my next practice.
I’ve taken this into my real life. Anytime I am nervous about something, I take a step back and think about what I want out of a particular event or experience, I set an intention and focus on that rather than my insecurities. It’s a tremendous help.
it’s the extra 10%
The real joy in yoga for me comes from pushing that extra 10%. Push yourself, listen to the instructor, relax your shoulders, reach your arms a little taller, flex your toes a little deeper, straighten your posture a bit more, twist a bit further. Push yourself farther than you think you can go, it’ll do wonders for your body and your perception of what you’re capable of.
Take this into everything you do in life, push yourself just a bit harder. Why settle for good enough when you’re capable of so much more.
the beauty of om
Tears were streaming down my cheeks during my last practice in shavasana because I finally understood everything I described above. When it came to the end of practice and our instructor lead us, I had this beautiful realization about the power of om. One person in the room sang out, encouraging everyone else to join in, and created something both beautiful and powerful. The energy in the room changed.
This made me think of the power of honesty and vulnerability. If one person is willing to let their guard down and honestly be themselves in the world, it can inspire an entire room to discover the same for themselves. Sharing vulnerability both frees us up and connects us together. If we are all honest and vulnerable with what is really going on, we will all feel less alone. One voice, singing together, creating a more beautiful and inclusive world.
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