On Sunday morning, I was relaxing on the couch, happy as a clam, reading The New York Times, and thinking, “Life is beautiful.” But my body was telling me to get up and go to 8:30 yoga.
I work out a lot, but yoga is different. Part physical workout, part mental workout, part restorative, yoga’s benefits are wide-ranging. It’s turned my normal lifestyle into abundant living.
My body’s been telling me to do more yoga for a couple of months. I have something going on with my hamstring. My knees and shins have been bothering me, too, but now I also have tennis elbow (not from playing tennis). All over, my body feels tight, and it’s not getting better. It definitely has been crying for attention.
I decided to go to class, and while excited to give my body what it needed, I was annoyed because I only had three hours before I had to leave for a lunch engagement. I had a lot I wanted to do on Sunday morning, and there really wasn’t time to spend 75 minutes in a yoga class—at least at the gym or on a hike, I could listen to podcasts and kill two birds with one stone.
For the past few months, my life has been all about efficiency, and now, I need more downtime.
When I arrived at my bohemian yoga studio, there was almost no one in the class. I sprawled out my mat and grabbed my blocks and blankets, and the second I got into downward dog, I knew I was right where I needed to be. NOT killing two birds with one stone.
As I started moving my body as the teacher instructed, I could FEEL it opening where it needed to, providing relief to my hamstring, calves, and everywhere else. I also felt how much my mind needed to be without my phone, computer, and AirPods. My body was tired, and my brain was full.
I had an incredible revelation. I remembered how, when I completed my yoga teacher training, I was supposed to practice teaching in front of my peers, but I just couldn’t do it. It wasn’t that I was embarrassed; it was that I didn’t think I was competent enough.
Then, I remembered how, when I started meditation, I couldn’t hold my torso upright because I lacked sufficient core strength. Now, there’s not much in yoga I can’t do, but more impressively, when I can’t, I modify and do something that I can.
As I continued to move on my mat, I remained in compassionate disbelief. I had gained tremendous strength, so not feeling competent was really me not feeling confident.
One thing I’m sure of is that confidence can be gained, and to gain it, you must be kind to yourself. It’s so easy to look at mistakes or failures as setbacks, but when we start celebrating progress instead of perfection, we recognize how amazing we are for showing up and trying.
When I started doing yoga, I was the least flexible person in the room, but everyone was kind and didn’t judge me, so I kept showing up to try again. It’s important that when we’re going after something, we stay away from people who drag us down and spend more time with those who encourage us to keep showing up.
So, it’s been about five years since my yoga teacher training ended, and now, I don’t know if I could be much more confident than I am. FIVE YEARS—in the big scheme of life, it’s only taken five years for me to completely change the way I feel about myself and what I’m competent to achieve in my life.
Those five years weren’t bad for me, either. I think we overestimate how painful growth can be. Sure, there are difficult periods, but there are so many more small wins to celebrate than there are tough times.
When I think back to who I was five years ago, on my healing journey, I can say with absolute certainty it was worth it—it would even be worth it if I were half as confident as I am today.
What do you want to achieve?
Is it worth five years of your life?
How bad do you think those five years are going to be? Don’t stay stuck. You’re living your life anyhow…if you ask me, I’d say it’s better to live it with an abundance mindset going after something that’s important to you.
Happy Thursday, and I hope your week is going amazing—feel free to reach out with any questions or comments.
