Letting Go!

Yoga is an opportunity to let go. Let go of expectations. Let go of judgments. Let go of pressures to succeed. Let go of the shoulds, coulds, and woulds. But if we come at our yoga practice the same way we “attack” all other things we “do” in our lives we’ll get the same thing out of it. I should be able to do headstand. I could breathe more. I would love to calm my mind but I can’t. Being aware of how much we push and beat up on ourselves is a great start but almost makes it harder! Damn! I am beating up on myself again. I should just accept myself. I could be more at peace with myself. I would love to just let go! Fact: Not many of use are walking around in a yogic state all the time and that’s okay. If you’re aware that you beat up on yourself, much like me, here’s a way to break the cycle and jump off that wheel. Every time you notice judgments of yourself replace them with what you want to cultivate. Here’s an example; I’m not good at triangle pose. I should be better after 3 years of practicing! I’m not good enough at my job. I could do better. My house is a mess and I haven’t gone to the grocery store. I would love to be a better provider at home. Stop! Acceptance, Compassion, Let go. Repeat what it is you want to cultivate in your head and create a mantra. You can use mine if you like. Allow yourself something positive to focus on. Let it be okay if you find it difficult to focus on your mantra. Let it be okay of you don’t notice any difference in your mental state. By not attaching to the outcome and accepting what is you have started replacing your judgments already! Know that some days it will be harder than others. That’s okay as well. It’s all the process of letting go!

Happy Yoga-ing!
Katie