A couple of weeks ago I shared a few of the things this modestly obsessive yogini has learned from her fellow yogis, and these few items round out the list.
5. Setting an intention for class is not setting a goal. I am a list maker, a thing crosser offer, a woman hell-bent on finishing what I’ve started, so the idea that I would have an intention for a class was a tough concept to swallow. At first, I really did want to analyze where I got my energy for class, or brainstorm solutions to war and world hunger. An intention is an opportunity to let my soul wander unhindered by the sticky web of my mind.
6. There are no gold stars in yoga. Ever. My task-master mentality is flummoxed by the idea that a pose is never finished, but the reality is that no matter how twisted I am, or how upside down, or how balanced on a square inch of skin, the pose is never finished. I will never move into the next division of yogis, nor will I get a badge, a belt, or even a gold star.
7. Sometimes the teacher makes things up, and that’s ok. One of my favorite yoga teachers of all time struggles just a touch with Sanskrit, which is understandable, because it is essentially a ‘sleeping’ language (I much prefer sleeping to dead). It is not my job to a) know the correct pronunciation or b) offer said pronunciation in class. If I am as focused on my practice as I ought to be, the bumblebeeasana should float right over my blissed-out mind, unnoticed.
8. Practice makes... practice. My purple sticky mat is the place where I nurture my yoga and practice it before I take it out into the world... where I practice it again. Each minor irritation, setback, and joy I encounter is another reminder that there is no perfect in yoga or in life. It is all practice.
No comments:
Post a Comment