16/05/2022
This is something my teacher Kristine Weber posted.
Sometimes people complain to me: "Yoga is too expensive."
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Here are some questions to ponder:
How much do you regularly spend going out to lunch, dinner, or movies?
How much do you spend on alcohol, olives, or Starbucks?
How much are your subscriptions to Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, YouTube TV, your phone?
How much do you spend on clothes?
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At that point, the argument shifts to: "Well, I'm just too busy."
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Ah, okay. And in that case, some more questions:
What DO you have time for?
What do you do in your free time?
Do you scroll through Instagram?
Watch YouTube videos?
Fret that others are happier than you are?
Worry that you're getting old and life is passing you by?
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What goes on in your mind when you think about time and money?
And where do those messages come from?
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As we dig deeper into the no time or money for yoga argument, we start to uncover some deeper questions including:
What are your values and priorities?
What matters most to you?
What are your goals?
If these include health, happiness, clarity, focus, financial security, relationships with others, and the relationship with your higher self then I have some more questions that follow:
Does your yoga practice support those values, priorities and goals?
And if so, what is the block to getting to your mat?
Also, are you spending a lot of time on stuff that DOESN'T support those values, priorities, and goals? TV, shopping, wine, partying, eating out, comparing, complaining?
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Now we get to the juicy stuff - When you start to get clear about what supports you and what doesn't, then, if health, happiness, relationships, etc. are top priorities for you, yoga practice, it would appear, has become a non-negotiable. You HAVE TO find time to practice, no matter what.
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Which leads to another argument: "I'm just too tired."
Okay, that's good to know and a very important reality to uncover. Great to admit that to yourself. You are too exhausted, overwhelmed, fried, sick, tired, lonely, miserable, stressed, or whatever.
You know the answer - this declaration lights up the sky with a big arrowing pointing to self-care.
Get to your mat and just lie there and breathe. Or put your legs up a chair. Do not demand sun salutations of your weary self. Give yourself some time to be and to feel the love of this world softly holding you, every day, with kindness and compassion, never as another thing to check off on your To Do list.
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If you can tolerate being with yourself for just a few minutes each day, you will start to feel something shift, crack, and fall away. You will start to see how brightly you shine, how much you have to give, how you are an overflowing vessel of love.
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Perhaps there is a part of yourself that feels you don't deserve to be happy, healthy, and relaxed. Or that you don't deserve self-care time. These are important things to discuss with a therapist or trusted counselor.
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Nothing happens in a vacuum. Your personal problems are never the result of a singular bad decision, your personality, or karma - they are intimately interwoven into your social networks, your education, where you live, if you have access to help and support, etc.
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You are not to blame for the bad things that happen to you - but, regardless of the negative self-talk records that someone helped you start playing in your head years ago - you have more power and capacity to change that than you realize. You can polish your own inner diamond a little brighter each day by stopping, being present with yourself, and gazing in wonder at your incredible gifts and your incredible life.
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Get out of bed, brush your teeth, splash some cool water on your face and do some yoga.
Then go out and do something beautiful for the world.
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