Letting go of things that no longer serve us can make way for new life, new energy, and new beginnings!

One of the things I am trying to shed is the pressure of PERFECTION.  Most of my life, I have striven for an unrealistic standard of perfection.  This perfect standard has served as a motivator, pushing me to constantly strive for better. However, looking back to the beginning of my yoga practice,  it has also been a source of self-destructive thought.

Yoga reminds me to let go of that PERFECTION and embrace PRACTICE…

When I first started going to yoga, I was in college, in my 20’s. I was a gymnast, aka flexible and strong. Yoga was something I was naturally “good” at. 

Then LIFE hit….I quit gymnastics, graduated, started working full-time and…started running (cause…what’s harder on your body than gymnastics? Running!) I was kinda a mess! I would go through waves of  going to class, and occasionally stretching after a long run. But…it wasn’t as “easy” anymore. My body changed, I wasn’t as flexible or as strong as I was. It didn’t “feel “ good to not be “perfect”  

I resisted yoga because of the pressure I felt in taking it:  I would be frustrated I couldn’t do the things I used to be able to do (not taking into consideration all the HOURS of consistent practice I used to do to be that strong and flexible). I scrutinized my body. I fell. ALOT.  I couldn’t even sit still for an hour.  I still needed to be PERFECT. 

It was a giant TRUTH BOMB…

Perfectionism may have gotten me through my 20’s, in college, but….it’s not going to get me where I want to be now. 

Looking back, I WISH for that “non-perfect” practice I had 30 years ago. 

So, what can I take from all this: 

Now as I walk into class, my body whimpers to me, reminding me of my limitations (and my age, and past injuries).

So I remind my body that today, this practice is just that – PRACTICE.

I will take who I am, in this moment, with this tired and battered body, and I will do my best.

I will show up.  I will breathe.  I will enjoy my fellow yogis.

I will shed pressure.  I will let go of control.

Today, I will simply do my best.

That’s all I can ask.

This is not PERFECTION.  This is PRACTICE.

From my perspective, this is the big difference between practicing yoga and doing yoga:

• Doing yoga is fun. It’s something that anybody can do but only certain people can do well. Those are usually people that are genetically predisposed to be strong, flexible and generally athletic. Other people can also do it but to a lesser extent. It’s something that you can be better or worse at than other people. Doing yoga is something that you can do as another activity in your weekly schedule. Instead of going to movies or dinner or dance class you can do yoga. It’s something that you do to unwind from your busy day, often on your way to or from something else.

• Doing yoga involves assuming various postures based on what you see other people around you doing, on what you see demonstrated by the yoga instructor at the front of the class or what you have figured out is meant by, for example, adho mukha svanasana. Doing yoga is mentally challenging because it’s so physically challenging.

• Practicing yoga can also be fun (although it’s not the word I would use). It’s something that everybody can do but it’s difficult to say if someone does it well or not because it’s mostly happening on the inside. There is definitely an intention to perfect the practice but it’s more about the effort than the result.

Practicing yoga is different from most things you might do in your weekly schedule. And yet it can inform the way in which you do all those other things.

Practicing yoga involves assuming various configurations of the body and mind based on the detailed instructions and demonstrations elucidated by your teacher. It requires an active, participatory learning on the part of the student where the instructions are only internalised through questioning, experimentation, application and reflection.** There is a dialogue between teacher and student and the only purpose the other people in the class serve is to help create a more complete perspective of the subject being discussed. Practicing yoga is challenging because it requires wholehearted attention.

Doing yoga is an activity. Practicing yoga is a discipline.

If your yoga practice ebbs and flows like ours does, it’s possible you have fallen out of practice.  

Let it go… and come re-join us!  We all have stories and excuses as to why it’s happened but more important than the past is what you want to create for your future.  We’re here for you when you want to jump back into taking good care of your mind, body and spirit!