My chitta vritti or mindstuff has been getting in the way of my yoga.
My asana practice is a microcosm of what’s going on off the mat.
A few weeks ago while taking class, my teacher told me to relax- more feeling, less thinking.
I wonder if this happens to other new teachers… I’m spending lots of time teaching giving adjustments, living in teaching mode has started to takeover my entire practice.
Don’t get me wrong, being our own best teachers is necessary, we grow in our practice because we learn how to find a deeper expression of a posture using our breath. As my body awareness expands both in depth and breadth, I can tweak a previously unfamiliar muscle or make a minute correction.
It’s awesome.
There is of course a downside.
Anything strength overused becomes a weakness.
Over correction can result in a pose becoming distorted. You could even hurt yourself if you aren’t careful. As you start to get more flexible this is even more an issue.
It may come as no surprise then to know that as I work on my business plan I may need to step back a bit, take a breath and remember the satisfaction that comes from building something. It doesn’t have to be all about furrowed eyebrows and punishing myself until 2am. Every thing takes time, I can’t rush to the next thing if I haven’t finished what I’m supposed to in this moment. Additionally, I don’t have to work on a particular aspect of my plan until it’s almost unrecognizable.
Be in the moment, make adjustments be keep it moving.
I’ve said this about myself before- but it’s worth repeating. Sometimes when you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
And you know what else happens when you over correct? You lose joy. You lose balance.
Yoga is the union of body and breath.
Sometimes I need to remember that. What I seek isn’t in the best expression of a pose.
It’s what’s inside.
It’s what I do after my asana practice is over.
This is what I love about my yoga. My practice tells me when life and not just a posture is out of whack.
Should I be a bit more self-aware. Yeah, but I’m not. Sue me. I’ll get there one day, or maybe not. But every experience brings me closer to enlightenment.
This is yoga and I stand less corrected.
Namaste y’all.
