I have been practicing yoga on and off for almost 40 years. One thing I know for sure, it’s one of the most consistent and transformative things I’ve ever done. I ‘ve been to lots of different churches and I have investigated lots of different religions and philosophies in my forty three years, but none of them have ever held my attention for long. The one thing that has been a constant presence in my life is my love for yoga. I have never fallen out of love with yoga.
Yoga is a gift for everyone to enjoy. I’ve had my ups and downs in yoga classes. I have felt different, excluded, judged and defeated on my mat and yet I still come back for more. If I felt this way in any practice in my life it was usually a sign to abandon it. I would instantly fall out of love with whatever I was doing if I was challenged emotionally. I love a physical challenge but an emotional one is way too hard to handle unless it is on my mat. Yoga taught me it’s okay to be sad. It was the only way I would know what happy truly felt like. It is okay to know struggle because it made ease so sweet. Yoga taught me that it is okay to be exactly who you are!
Here are three life lessons that yoga has taught me.
1. I Am Not My Thoughts!
Say that a few times. Let it roll around in your head and touch your soul. This was a very hard concept for me to understand. I had to break it down. Here goes, you are an inspired being living in a human body. You are a perfect soul. It’s the human experience that is having the thoughts. It is the soul that is observing them. It is only when you identify with those thoughts that you become them. So observe your thoughts, are they true? Probably not! Don’t let your thought get the better of you. Yes you are good enough, smart enough, and experienced enough. Yes you are worthy. Make it your Mantra!
2. Meditation Is The Key To Sanity
Life is busy. If you don’t slow down a little and take it all in you will miss the most important parts of your life. Sit and be still. Yes I know it is hard and yes I know you don’t have time so make time. Set your alarm to wake you up early, and just sit. Get quiet with yourself. Breathe in your life. It only takes 5 minutes everyday to be at peace.
3. We Have All The Power!
The choices in your life are always yours to make regardless of the circumstances. You must stand in your power to achieve clarity. There are lots distractions out there trying to influence us. Once you realize they’re only distractions, you get to choose how you feel and what you accept. Once we realize that we’re the ones making the choices, life becomes easier to navigate. Then you can begin to eliminate those thoughts and emotions that are counterproductive to a happy life.
Happiness is choice. Truth is your perception.
We are all on an epic journey to find ourselves, to lead a skillful life and to be joyful souls. The journey can be an amazing if you choose to have an amazing experience.
