Mistakes I’ve made in my relationship with yoga…
1. Ego and injury – accept where you are
- I get over-excited when learning new postures and my body was not quite warm yet, but I knew I could do it. My left knee still carries the injury to my ligament from over three years ago. The competition against myself is just not worth the injury.
- In any class I now only do what I can, and when I feel my ego poking in I take a deep breath and rest in child’s pose for a few counts – works every time and prevents my from injuring myself!
- Remembering to listen to your body is really important and many of us are too busy trying to keep up with the class to pay attention to our Self. It’s not a competition. Take your time. Your journey is your own.
2. Attributing my great experiences to others – accept your Self
- Yoga means ‘Union’. I take this as the union between the body, mind and the Self as One. When I was younger I would have said that my experience of a class as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ depends on the teacher, however now I believe that my experience of a ‘good’ or ‘great’ class comes from within… my attitude and mind set.
- I no longer attribute a great practice to a nonetheless great teacher, but I am aware and give myself credit for being present in my practice. And on the days I’m just not so into it I accept it and know that I will connect with myself in another practice. Although, though I may be disappointed in myself, I have to learn to let it go. Perhaps it was just not meant to be. And I’m okay with that.
3. Judging others by my own standards – accept difference and change
- I’m a perfectionist at heart and I used to have an expectation that yoga classes should be perfect; a perfect teaching equals a perfect experience. But this is not the case. Each teacher is different and each student searches for a different experience on a different day
- I have learned to take each class I teach as it is and can only hope that students can resonate with the practice. I have also become more accepting and open to other teachers’ styles and methodologies when I participate in classes and it’s a beautiful experience if I let myself have it
- Staying available to change it a wonderful quality and keeps you flexible and adaptable – a great life skill in general
Practice acceptance of yourself and others…