I found today's yoga class especially difficult but I tried not to give up. My teacher reminded us to at least try to get into a pose and then if we can't, to rest in
child's pose (balasana). Some days it seems like I am more flexible but today I found almost every pose challenging and when we were instructed to go into
handstand (adho mukha vrksasana) I got scared. Fear (so I hold my breath) in yoga is counter-productive and my fear is really a lack of self belief that catches me out occasionally so I think I can't do something. For the first time in ages I had thought...can I really do yoga, am I wasting my time, who am I kidding, will I ever get any better? By the time
savasana (corpse pose) came along, I thought about how far I have come from when I was 100kg. Of course I can do this! I just need to believe and breathe. I walked away from that class knowing that I have to challenge myself more now and get out of a comfort zone that I have been resting in for a little too long now.
It's funny how ideas reveal themselves to you at the most opportune moments and for me, always when I'm on the toilet. I was reading a page from
Skin Deep by Kevin Farrow and he quotes Shunryu Suzuki (a Japanese Roshi) who wrote a book called
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's there are few. Always keep a beginner's mind." Farrow follows this with, "Give yourself about 15 to 30 minutes a day to practice. If you don't have 15 to 30 minutes a day, try 10 to 15 minutes a day. If you can't find 10 minutes a day, you know you have no interest."
Food for thought and something which reminds me to keep an open mind and decide if I really want to do whatever it is that I am trying to do. I will only succeed if I really want to. And succeeding is not about reaching an end for me, it's about the growth, the journey and where it takes me.
15 comments:
What a neat attitude, totally made me think about where I'm heading, and how I should be feeling about the journey there, not just about how I will feel when I get to the "end". Interesting.
Of course, if things weren't challenging at times, you'd have to wonder why you were doing it all :)
Ha! At least I know there's one pose I feel confident in mastering first go :oP.
It's great that you can write about this, and how neat that you can work through your thoughts and come to a positive conclusion in just one yoga class.
"If you can't find 10 minutes a day, you know you have no interest."
It applies in so many areas of life doesn't it? our well being, our relationships, our goals. Sometimes we need to realise and understand what is important and what isn't, then push to get what we want and where we want to be, counter-productive thinking pushed aside :)
Thanks for posting the food for thought Mary, have a great weekend!
Hey Mary,
Thanks for this post. It reminds me not to take the journey for granted. Feels great to give yourself more than 10 mins a day doesn't it?
Great exercise plan btw.
:)
The power of the mind is an amazing thing.
I like this. Not getting too far ahead of yourself and maintaining that "beginners mindset". Very fitting for where I am at the moment.
Great post Mary and thanks for your recent comments. So much appreciated!
And succeeding is not about reaching an end for me, it's about the growth, the journey and where it takes me.
You have such a knack of putting thoughts into words and just making things "click". That was a really great post :)
yoga seems to equate with such clear thinking. You always make me feel like jumping in a one piece leotard and running to the nearest yoga centre!
of course you can do it!
I did crow for the first time yesterday!!! Only for two seconds, but still! Most promising!
Man we have come a long way from the 100kg girls we used to be - what a turnaround.
Love the manifesto. I discovered that for myself on Saturday when I went into their Chapel St store! I am so in love with everything in that shop! And now I have the manifesto poster up at work and at home!
Hope you have a great week darl xx
oohhh I can't wait for my house guest to leave so I can get back into yoga!!!
Have a great week Mary:)
Ah, Suzuki, the subject of all your favourite bedtime nightmares. ;)
Fear! What a bitch of a thing...it pops up in so many ways into our lives...
As for the 10 min a day, that's so true - when I was in Uni for the first time (groan to think I'm back there now - COME ON SEPTEMBER!) I remember a lecturer asking what our biggest passion was. We all had to answer him, and being a Vis Arts degree, there were some great bullsh*t answers, then he said "How many minutes per day do you devote to this passion? How many minutes per day do you spend watching tv?"
Biiiiig silence! LOL!
I like the clean,fresh layout of your blog,it feels cleansing somehow.I also enjoy reading a different aproach to food and fitness,I love your devotion to your yoga, that's really cool.
That potato salad looks yum,I made a similar one recently,with capers and prosciutto.But perhaps you are vegetarian?oh whoops no,you added bacon.The ww bacon is good, Im definately not doing weight watchers but I sure do like my bacon lean and not salty.
nice to meet you mary :)
Thank you for making me think - what a great quote you have there. I am going to copy it and keep it close by to remind me in the future.
Take care and have a great day !
Me
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