Cultivating a yoga practice can feel extremely confrontational at first… we may encounter thoughts and feelings like: “I wish I was more flexible,” “I’m not as strong as I’d like to be,” or “I have no idea what I’m doing, this is not for me.”
We tend to enjoy doing things that we’re good at, for obvious reasons, they make us feel good! It’s not easy trying new things, facing challenges and getting out of our comfort zone – but that’s usually where we experience the most impactful growth.
Diving deep into the “Cave of Self” can bring up a lot of stuff that we’d just rather not confront. Through yoga, I’m learning to face uncomfortable feelings and sensations instead of denying them. Consciously observing my thoughts and my body helps me to pause before acting; I get to study how I respond and then react to those challenges.
Learning to assess oneself and make changes if a choice, pattern or belief is not serving you can be very difficult. Especially if the grooves are deep; if you’ve been doing the same thing over and over, rerouting may be a vigilant task.
Can you get curious about and be receptive to whatever comes up for you in your yoga practice? Can you let it inform you about yourself rather than resist it or even judge it? It takes a lot of courage to meet oneself in this way; it’s also an opportunity to have one of the most intimate and revealing conversations you get to have with yourself.
