Elizabeth recently wrote an awesome post about attending her first Yoga class. If you haven’t read it, here is a link. I told her that I would also post a little about my own experiences with Yoga but it took me a while to determine what I wanted to share. I figured that it would be best to start with what I’ve recently been struggling with and go from there. So, what I have been struggling with? Well, I moved.
I didn’t just move away from my friends and family. I also moved away from my “home” studio, the place where I felt safe in my practice. Often when I travel, I try to drop in on a Yoga class and I enjoy going to new places. I especially love traveling to attend workshops with new teachers because I appreciate diversity in studios, teachers and styles. But once I could no longer attend classes with the teachers that I had come to know and trust on a daily basis, my practice began to suffer.
But I should say that the trouble I encountered wasn’t in finding a new studio or awesome teachers. I immediately found a wonderful studio close to my new place that had warm, helpful teachers who made me feel comfortable. However, I was still out of my element. The energy was different and I just wasn’t feeling it. I went to class and left feeling great but as time went on, I began to drift away. Of course, the problem wasn’t external. The problem was of my own creation. Over the years, I had allowed my personal practice to slowly erode.
Now, I am not someone who only goes to Vinyasa or power classes. I also regularly attend restorative/gentle and yin classes, as well. I do this because it helps me to find a kind of balance that goes well beyond the physical notion. Truthfully, I can’t hear always hear myself clearly above the clatter of daily life. Sometimes, I want things that aren’t good for me. Finding what I need, especially when I’m under stress, is difficult. And, often, we can be drawn to that which we already know when what we really need is something different. Experience has taught me that it’s easier when I not only push hard but also give myself permission to relax. I use my body and my mind, and maybe something even less tangible, to bring a sense of well being to my entire self.
Coming back to my current struggles, while I had diligently maintained diversity in my group practice–- I had zero in my personal practice. I tended to do only restorative sequences at home. Don’t get me wrong, restorative Yoga is amazing and I still practice it regularly. However, I needed some variety. And, like I said, we like to do what we know but not always what we need. So, I began to develop my own flow practice and push myself at home once more. The energy you can get from a group practice is unbelievable, but I had to learn to build and sustain that energy on my own again.
I’m not going to lie. It was a little tough to face. But once I got over my embarrassment and stopped being angry with myself (no-no!), I began to see this period for what it is: a gift. It brought me back to my personal practice, and it was obviously a lesson that I needed to learn. And while I never know where the next lesson is going to come from, I’m abundantly grateful to be a student.
Thanks for reading and if you have any experiences that you would like to share in the comments, I would be delighted to read them!
