Part 2: What Keeps Me Coming Back to the Mat…
Currently, I have an almost-every-day, some type of yoga practice. Which translates as, I come to the mat most days of the week. Sometimes it’s for a longer more traditional practice; sometimes it’s 15 minutes: a few minutes of stillness, a few minutes of breathing, a few minutes of movement; and sometimes it’s a 10-minute shavasana at the end of a crazy day. And there are other times that my yoga takes me outside to be in nature – walking, sitting, being. Most importantly, I keep coming back. And I’m reminded when I’ve been away from the mat for too long – my body doesn’t feel as good as it did or I have trouble focusing on tasks at hand.
It probably comes down to a few key reasons why I keep coming to the mat. The first reason is awareness. This is likely what drew me to Kripalu-style yoga in the first place. It’s a style of yoga that encourages self-awareness and observation (without judgement). As I move into shapes, I learn to explore how it feels in my body and each day may be a different experience. When I pay attention, I become more skillful at learning what my body needs – a little gentleness in the hips, a chest opener, a long pause in child’s pose, or quiet and stillness. The best parts are the moments I can take my yoga off-of-the mat. In a stressful moment I can notice the tension in my shoulders, the shallow breathing, and then I can begin to soften and respond from a different place – a place where kindness and compassion reside.
The second reason piggybacks off of the first, and it’s about being absorbed in my body and breath when I practice. It is truly an opportunity to be in the moment, right now. There’s no need to think about where I just came from or where I’m heading. I can focus on breath and sensation. Each time I learn to be present on the mat helps me to be more skillful at being present off of the mat in whatever I am doing – cooking dinner, listening to a discussion, or eating a piece of chocolate.
A third reason I practice is community. I’ve met some amazing people and beautiful souls on the mat. There is energy in gathering together to move and breath as a collective group. The people I practice with are an inspiration and challenge me to be a better person; they are kind and show compassion towards each other; they are funny and remind me how important laughter is; and they demonstrate the importance of dedication and commitment. We need to be with people and yoga people are good people to be with.
My yoga practice isn’t perfect. I do try to weave little bits of yoga into every day – with breath awareness, 6-movements of the spine, joint warm-ups, and moments of mindfulness. As yoga teacher Jillian Pransky says “a little + often = a lot”. And while the on-the-mat practice is important to feeling good in my body every day and feeling grounded and centered and it gives me the tools I need to skillfully take my yoga off-of-the mat and into my daily life.