As a forever student of yoga one of the most difficult aspects of curating my home practice was and sometimes still is simply doing the yogas. I find that I spend so much time trying to create the “perfect” environment that once I get down to it my mind is so far removed and I abandon ship. And I’m a card carrying yoga teacher so you can imagine how that internal dialogue sounds.
For a while I entertained the various excuses I’d shell out but one day I called myself on my own Baloney Sandwich (BS get it haha?). I returned to my seat of student and revisited my favorite Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, Ishvara Pranidhana, the ultimate surrender to God. To me Ishvara Pranidhana means releasing the need to know, the need to control, the need to achieve and allowing myself to enjoy the mystery that is this life. It serves as a gentle yet powerful reminder for my personal yoga practice and everyday life.
So what if things aren’t picture perfect? That’s none of my business.
However this doesn’t mean walking around without a care in the world but rather not sacrificing your sense of peace to worrying about things you cannot change/fix/control. It means knowing that the outcome of practice however “good” or “bad” doesn’t reflect upon your self worth. This teaching is so important for students that are new to yoga because it’s easy to become discouraged or overwhelmed.
How to navigate an “imperfect” practice:
1. Remind yourself that it’s okay if you’re having an off practice
2. Take a seat and breathe for a few minutes until you feel calm
3. Think of 3 reasons why you enjoy practicing yoga
4. Walk away for a bit if you need to take a break
5. Come back with kindness
So the next time you roll out your mat I encourage you to take a moment and ask yourself what you need from practice and set an intention to honor whatever that may be. Some days it might be an intense sweaty practice other days it may look like a gentle flow. Be open to this intention potentially changing as you practice. Know it’s okay if your mind is on overdrive, it’s okay to be distracted by external stimulus, heck it’s even okay to get up and walk away from the mat altogether. Just remember that you always have this moment to begin again.
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Now it's time to grab your mat, some water and LETS BEGIN.
Namaste
Marissa
the Bubbly Yogi
