Ten Things Yoga Teaches Me About Life

Another night and the clock is rapidly approaching 10:30. Nearly a year ago when I started this blog, I promised myself one entry per day, sometime between midnight and 11:59 p.m. The minutes on the clock are dwindling down to my self-imposed deadline, and I sit here with an empty brain. An empty brain is good when you’re trying to fall asleep, which is what I should be doing. An empty brain is a bad thing, however, when you’re 1.5 hours from your writing deadline and no inspiration has arrived all day. Some days, it’s simply a struggle to get through. On those days, when I should be writing, I want nothing more than sleep. Today is one of those days.

To ensure that I get some sleep tonight, I’m going to go back to my mindset 1.5 hours when I was in yoga class. At the end of this coming January, I will have completed my fourth year as a practicing yogi. Hard to believe that four years ago I was so afraid to attempt yoga that I made my sister come with me to my first class. True story. Now, I can’t imagine going through the rest of my days without it. It’s not just exercise. It’s a metaphor for my life. I’m flexible and can bend over backwards, but I’m still not open. I’m strong and can stand on my head if I set my mind to it, but some days I am incredibly off balance. Yoga helps me find the peace I lack.

As I was cleaning up after class tonight, my mind was racing through the valuable life lessons yoga has taught me. So, I think I will share those tidbits here because…well, I need something to write about.

Ten Things Yoga Continues To Teach Me About Life (and trust me…I need the frequent reminders)

1. The most important thing is to show up.
2. When something doesn’t feel quite right, don’t force it. You’ll only end up hurt.
3. Everyone is wrapped up in their own world. No one is paying attention to you, so let go and be free of ego.
4. When things get tough, just breathe.
5. We all have our struggles and our gifts. Mind your own.
6. Try something new. It might not be your thing or it could be your new favorite thing. You’ll never know until you try.
7. If something doesn’t serve you, let it go. No sense in lugging around worthless baggage.
8. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Instead of criticizing yourself for what you can’t do, be grateful for all that you can.
9. Discomfort is okay. Acknowledge it and let it go. It’s in discomfort that you find opportunity for growth.
10. Wherever you are, be there.

Namasté.