When first embarking on your yoga journey, you were probably pushed outside of your confort zone the first few times you practiced, which is amazing! The more we push our boundaries, the more we grow and learn! That being said, when you were pushed, you most likely pushed back, finding ways to control your experience and feel less vulnerable.
They are many ways that students try to ‘control’ their practice from always attending the same class time, style of class or even or practicing with a specific teacher. No matter the way you tried to control your practice, it is important to remember that the practice of yoga is to let it change you. That it is a safe space, and feeling vulnerable is part of the process.
Many, many students continue to have ‘a spot’ in the room in which they always practice. These students come early, just to secure their spot and even walk away from practice if the class is full and their spot is taken. We have even seen extreme instances of this where students have actually asked another student to move because they were in the covenanted ‘spot’ (this is a big no, no, just in case you were wondering!)
Knowing you have a spot may make you feel safe. Maybe it is at the back of the room, where no one can see you, beside a post, so you feel secure, or in the front row, so you can see every posture on your body. No matter where you spot is, we strongly encourage you to give it up!
Here is your challenge, if you are one who has a spot, next time you come to class, practice as far away from that spot as you can! See how impactful this can be on your practice, and see if the openness to change starts to trickle into your every day life!
(Originally published July 25, 2018)
Boy, do I know this is so much harder said than done!! A fellow teacher once said to me that nothing makes her lose her yoga faster than her kids, and can I ever agree! I am the mother of three teenagers and they know how to push my buttons. There are times I don’t think I could keep my cool with all the patience in the world. That being said, I get to practice breath and patience every day, MANY, MANY times a day.
Changing your behaviour in the hot room will also effect the way you see yourself. I always park my mat in the exact same spot, right by the middle pillar. Subconsciously, I may think it provides some sort of camouflage. As humans we get comfortable in our own grooves and try not to deviateate too much. When we break free of those restraints, it lets us sometimes see something in a new way. A fellow teacher was telling me that she, like myself, was uncomfortable looking at herself in the mirror in Warrior 2. Then during a particularly busy class, she noticed a pair of legs in the mirror that were really toned and strong. She surprised herself that they were actually hers, and with a gaze free of judgement, she loved what she saw.