As many know by now, I recently earned my 200hr YTT certificate. I embarked on this journey with the intent to deepen my own practice and to maybe use what I was taught to further spread the magic of Yoga with others.
I am honored to share that I have had the opportunity to do that, and if you would like to join a class with me I will leave the link here of where you can find me.
However, this post is not about that.
Instead, I wanted to spend some time today talking more about what this practice has taught me ever since I stepped on the mat a few years ago. I know I share often about how much Yoga has transformed my life, but what specifically have I learned?
Yoga makes me unlearn what I thought I knew
I know I am not the only one who has fallen victim to hustle culture a time or two. Here, in the US, we heavily value productivity, movement, to-do lists, and the bustle. It is always about the next step and not the one we are currently taking. Yoga made me unlearn the importance of always being “on.” Before my practice, I looked at stillness and rest as laziness, but what is the rush without the time to slowdown? Burnout. Discontentment.
Comparison truly is the thief of joy
When I first began practicing, I cared deeply about what my body looked like while moving through each pose. Was I as flexible as the gal next to me? Was I as strong? Could I hold Warrior II for as long as others? Were my leggings too tight? Was my belly showing too much?
Ick. Such thoughts truly are the exact opposite of what Yoga teaches us. One of the teachings of Buddhism, known as Mudita, means taking joy in the success of others. Comparison could not possibly allow ourselves that pleasure. This takes WORK, and trust me, I am far from perfect at it, but I have definitely noticed a softening of my own self talk and the talk in my brain that is directed towards others.
You are more capable than you think
Before Yoga, I had a fairly tumultuous relationship with my body. It was the enemy in more ways than one. A consistent Yoga practice has allowed me to develop a healthier relationship with my body. I now appreciate what it can do, rather than harp on what I think it can’t do. Turns out, it can do some pretty miraculous things!
Not only does it keep me alive, store my most precious memories, and allow me to experience this crazy thing called life, but it also lets me go UPSIDE DOWN! Pretty freaking cool.
Trusting yourself can open up your world
Self doubt? I knew her well. I still do. However, a consistent Yoga practice taught me that trusting yourself can make wonderful things happen. So many of us our out of touch with our intuition, or that gut feeling we get when we know something is or isn’t right, but part of the practice is reconnecting with our most innate selves to reacquaint ourselves with what our minds and bodies need. It makes our spidey senses tingle more clearly. For real!
It ain’t all physical
In the Yoga Sutras, one of the earliest texts about the practice written by Patanjali over 2000 years ago, an Eight Limb Path of Yoga was introduced. These 8 Limbs, or Ashtanga Yoga, outlined the steps to reach ultimate enlightenment. It was stressed that these 8 Limbs were to be practiced in order for one to achieve purification, mastery of our senses, and free from worldly illusions that we often fall victim to.
Guess which Limb Asanas, or the physical practice of Yoga, were listed?
Third.
In our Western world, it can be easy to assume that the poses we practice are number 1, but there are actually 2 limbs that Patanjali list as more important than our physical practice. The first is Yamas, the second Niyamas. Stay tuned for another post with more about these first 2 Limbs! You can also read more about the Eight Limb Path to Yoga here.
The point is, how we conduct ourselves in the world, and how we show up for ourselves, matters more than the poses we twist ourselves into on our mats. We can’t reap the full benefits if we skip those very important Limbs that come before Asana.
I could go on and on and on about what Yoga has taught me, but now it is your turn. What has Yoga taught you?