Navigating the Noise: Post #7

When I woke up this week, I knew I wanted to be a bit determined with my Yoga outcomes. I was eager to make a goal, but once I stepped onto the yoga mat, I had a sense of disappointment. I did not want to start my Yoga session like this, so I put the mat away and began my workout. After completing this, I grabbed the mat again and just sat there. People were probably wondering if I was okay LOL, but I was sitting there trying to get in a positive and relaxed mindset. This did not include any thinking, but just calming my body. If anything, my mind was like TV static… a bit of noise going on but not enough to think about anything. This was exactly what state your mind should be in before Yoga. I wasn’t sure if moving my body into strange, and many times awkward, poses would really make myself find a goal in this case, but I gave it a shot. This was the start to a few slow days, however, a successful week in my eyes.

After having a bit of a rough Monday and Tuesday, battling some feelings of disappointment, I looked deeper into the progress I have been making. I have seen many benefits in my physical health, however, I did not notice the impact Yoga has had on my perspective of life. Over the next few days of Yoga, I watched Yoga with Adriene to get me back into some Yoga videos! After reflecting on this week, and my progress throughout this journey thus far…. here are a few things Yoga has taught me, and the various things I noticed within my journey this week:

Embracing Imperfection:

The idea that there is so much value in imperfection is one of the most important things yoga has been teachingme. As a person who has certain ways of doing things and a strong sense of control, yoga helps me to remember that it’s okay to have both balanced and unbalanced times. Every stumble, shake or awkward yoga pose has acted as a small reminder to me that we all should be gentler and kinder to ourselves.

A Change in Perspective?:

Trust me, Yoga is not always easy. At first, the beginner exercises gave me the impression it was…. Oh God was I wrong. There are many times where my body questions what in the world we are doing, but sometimes that is the best part. Yoga isn’t about making yourself do a pose without struggle—it’s about listening to your body, acknowledging its boundaries, and finding its strengths.

The Mindset:

I’ve discovered quickly that practicing yoga only brings you so far. I can admit to forcing myself because I had promised myself it would be necessary for the assignment. But I quickly figured out that this was not the reason I had originally chosen yoga, or was it something that had benefited me in any way. I was able to stop just going through the motions and start practicing mindfulness and showing up every day with an open mind and desire to change and improve. Without having this mindset, Yoga is not beneficial and brings no sense of enjoyment.