You know what I wanted to tell you today? That I think you are doing an amazing job. If you are here on my blog, it means you’ve wanted yoga in your life and reading this now means care about your life and how your actions impact those around you. You want to feel good and do good. You know that there is something else, something bigger than daily to-do’s. You crave a simple life filled with real connections, time to slow down and make a difference.
You know real life happens when the smart phones are away and that if you hear one more person tell you to be your ‘authentic self’ you will probably be sick.
You’ve been down a path in some way or another and at some point enough became enough and you knew you wanted something different. You want a life with purpose but that is simple. You want to be challenged but are able to change gears when you need to. You want to be strong but also exude a welcoming softness that shows others around you that you too are just doing your best.
You know life is how you live each and every day and you’re goal is to make the status quo remarkable. But it takes commitment and having faith when others around you may not want to make the same changes you want to make. Your family and or friends may not see things the same way as you do and it almost feels like they don’t understand and don’t even want to try to understand. It takes changing your own behavior in slow small stages and dealing with getting it wrong and looking silly but then finding the courage to try again. Just by working on your own stuff, others around you will see the changes so that you wont even need to explain anymore.
You deserve a big high five and this is me giving you one. It takes effort to change our day to day lives when we know the way things are just won’t do anymore. The yoga practice tells us that we have everything we need within us, and that we are already perfect just the way we are. Our practice just helps us to feel what it’s like to be home and recognise the sweetness of being in balance. We all get it wrong and get off track or take things too far or not far enough but the grace is in admitting when we eff up (cos that’s allowed you know) and then trying again the next day. The real transformation happens when we admit that we don’t know a thing but keep working at it regardless.
Something my ashtanga practice has taught me is that NOTHING is wasted..every annoying triangle pose, frustrating backbend and failed attempt at mayurasana is worth something. It might not look the way you think it should but the growth is in the effort, the work, the doing.
Standing on one leg without a wobble can be practice for having a difficult conversation. Every deep breath in a headstand can be practice for the bravery needed to apply for a new job. Every child’s pose instead of pushing through is practice needed for learning how to step back and let someone else choose the restaurant.
I salute you and your effort to make your life incredible and I am here with you on that path. When we do it together it really is the most supportive way to create change and invite transformation and by being here you are well on your way. You are a baddass and so am I (ha!) Let’s keep going!
~Allison
