To be alive is to keep growing. Physically. Mentally. Spiritually.
What we learn through our yoga practice is so much more than physical postures. We do learn about our bodies; about where they’re stuck, where they need more space, where there is room for more breath, how it feels to allow the body to simply “be”, and much more. However we also learn so much about the mind and about the spirit. The power we have over the mind is both encouraging and scary. Encouraging because if we can shape our thoughts, then in turn we can shape our reactions and our behaviours. Scary because we can’t just blame a situation on something or someone else. Scary because in the end, we have to take full responsibility for our lives, for our actions, for our world. The spiritual path is so personal that I find it impossible to describe. It has nothing to do with whether or not you believe in a specific G-d. It has everything to do with feeling connected. Connected to something that is bigger than yourself. It’s an energy. It’s all around us. We contribute to that energy. It contributes to our being.
In the last two years, since I’ve delved into the practice of Yoga, there’s an energy I feel that I’ve never felt before. A thirst for knowing. A thirst for growing. When you really delve into Yoga, you’ll find many moments of discomfort. When you’re brutally honest about certain things, when you’re searching for truth, it can get uncomfortable. The trick is, not to run away. On or off the mat; sit with the discomfort. Bring your awareness to that discomfort. Figure out where it stems from. Can you do anything to ease that feeling (physical/emotional…) This too is growth. Staying in your comfort zone is a recipe for maintaining the status quo. It may not be bad, but you won’t grow from it.
In the last two years, there’s an excitement I feel when I question things; When I think of all the things I want to learn; When I take a class with a new teacher and learn a new perspective; When I feel connected to a group of people in my class; When I see someone experiencing Savasana, and I know that in that moment, they are being who they really are. They are not someone’s mother/father/child/husband/wife. They’re just “being.”
To be alive is to keep growing.
The practice of Yoga is just that. A never-ending practice. Like life. Every day a new opportunity for learning; for growth. For learning to be more mindful. For learning to be kinder. For learning to live with less ego and less judgement. For learning to love ourselves and our bodies.
Are you living your life open to the possibilities (and challenges) of growth?
My mind is open to learning. I’m in it with my whole heart ♥