17/11/2020
Ever since I started practicing Yoga I was a little obsessed. I wanted everyone to try this amazing practice that had given me so much. Very often people would say “Oh, I’m not flexible enough” or “My body is not made for those poses”. Let me tell you, you don’t have to be a contortionist to practice yoga.
I feel that all the pretty pictures on social media have created an idea of what yoga is; perfectly fit and flexible people, with expensive mats, fancy gym clothes and smoothies made with special herbs that only grow on top of the Himalayas. For me it was intimidating, and for a long time I only practiced at home, afraid to embarrass myself in a studio. I kept comparing what my body could do to those “perfect yogis” and pushed myself to fit into those shapes. I couldn't be further from what yoga really is… Flexibility is not a prerequisite for yoga, but an outcome. If you’re not flexible, that's precisely why you should do yoga!
Much more important than doing full splits or going into the deepest backbend, is showing up for your practice and acknowledging that your path won’t be the same as someone else’s. It's not about being good at something. It's about being good to yourself.
Of course it's nice to set goals and pursue them, but it is daily practice that leads to the strongest growth. As the sages have often said… it's not so much about the destination as it is about the journey! Because when we think about it, there is no real destination in yoga. Have you ever heard about a Yogi who said, “Yeah, that’s it, I have mastered yoga, that's it!”
Through repeated visits to your mat, yoga teaches you to observe and accept where you are in that moment, to listen to your body and be kind to yourself. One day you’ll be amazing at some posture, and the very next day you'll fail. Just like your physical body, your best effort will look different at every practice and that’s ok! Focus inward and keep practicing. By showing up again and again, you’ll grow towards your unique purpose.
Take a deep breath in. And breathe out. Let yoga help you to uncover the wisdom that lies dormant within your soul.
