Teachings From My Teachers II and III
In class today, we experimented with weird poses that required much physical strength and balance. It also required a calm, positive mind. Every time we try challenging pose, there is always that voice within telling us that we can't do it - that somehow, we are deficient or defective because we cannot reach a full expression of posture. However, as my teacher pointed out, if we cultivate stillness in the mind and quiet that negative voice, we will be able to try a pose on and we will have a greater chance of success.
This applies to my real life as of late, because I have been scared to take chances for fear of failing. There is that negative voice in my head telling me that I will not be able to succeed in things that I am passionate about, and that is possibly one of the most discouraging feelings. But, if I work on quieting that negative voice, and practice cultivating stillness and even positivity, I will be able to try these challenges on with greater success.
This leads me to my third Teachings From My Teachers:
This is one of my favorite mantras to get me through a particularly challenging class, or to motivate me to get on my mat. I firmly believe this, because the physical practice of yoga gives us all sorts of tools to get through challenging times in our lives. The hardest thing about yoga is not getting through a hard class, but it is taking the mindset of practice and implementing it in our lives off of the mat. If we can continue to cultivate a still and positive mindset through our practice on the mat, we can come back to that when we encounter challenges off the mat. And this is what keeps me coming back to my mat, again and again. Yoga truly does set us up for success in our lives.
