Thursday, April 4, 2013

Why I do Yoga: part 1


I've been reading a business book, entitled, "Start with Why".  It's been pretty powerful.  I've asked myself, "why DO I work this hard to keep up a yoga studio?"  So, the following is just the first story of why I love yoga.  Some of these will end up in our marketing materials, but it's been very therapeutic, just to write about it. 
I spent the majority of my life critical of myself and others.  There were many reasons for this, but it was mostly a lack of self-worth.  I was my harshest judge.  Anything short of perfection was unacceptable....so I was always unacceptable.
When I went to teacher training for the first time, I was so uncomfortable.  Look at these people:  she needs to brush her hair, his clothes don't match, what's with all those tattoos....Not to mention judging myself:  what will they think of me?  What should I say?  That was stupid of me.  How do I look to them?  I could not relax.
But one morning, in my hotel, getting ready to go, I looked at my messy, wild hair and for the first time, I thought "that's OK."  I suddenly realized that my yoga friends weren't judging me.  This was a major first in my life:  unconditional acceptance.  It blew my mind & opened the door for me to stop judging myself.
I have not mastered this skill.  I'm still my own worst critic.  But now that I've tasted the freedom of accepting myself, it's a part of my daily life.  And I find I can be kinder to others as well.
This is just one of the ways that yoga has helped me find my peace.  Let it help you find yours.

2 comments:

  1. When I still lived in NJ, I attempted yoga at local gyms and actually injured shoulders and a hip. It was because I couldn't let go of the need to keep up with the expectations I projected onto instructors and other students, but which were really my own.

    Mountain Yoga has been a safe place to progress with yoga at my own pace. This has allowed me to commit to the practice, and to have the pleasure of seeing gradual but real progress. Getting into a pair of tights without having to sit down or hold onto something may not seem like much, but when you haven't been able to do so for years...wahoo!

    And BTW your new profile pic is awesome. Captures the sense of humor and play that I like so much about Mountain Yoga.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Joann. I love you & love watching your practice grow!

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