You made it to your first yoga class. It was fun and relaxing but…. you have been secretly thinking to yourself: how would I ever perfect all those yoga poses? And now you are ready to give up on yoga.
Does this seem familiar to you?
How important is perfecting the pose? Not important at all! You are not competing with anybody. The only “challenge” is to challenge yourself.
There are no prizes for the most flexible, student, the slimmest body or the most fashionable yoga outfit. Your practice is important. And that is totally dependent on you. It is your decision to show up once or twice every week. It is up to you to keep practicing even if you feel less than inspired sometimes.
Do these thoughts cross your mind when contemplating taking up yoga or going back for your second class?
“I will not be able to do the perfect pose and will fail royally.”
Every pose is a development. Nobody begins at perfection not even your yoga instructor. Perfection results from continuous practice. Please feel free to ask your yoga teacher how many hours of practice brought her the “perfect pose”. The emphasis in our classes are not on perfecting the yoga postures.
The only thing that guarantees success in yoga is an open mind and the willingness to do your best.
Do your best today! Please realize that sometimes doing your best is just simply showing up. You might feel tired or frustrated or full of negative emotions on some days.
Take a step back, breathe deep a few times. Then try to imagine yourself flying a helicopter and looking at your current situation from the helicopter’s view. What is still important? Are parts of your current bad mood and suffering losing their weight?
What can you do in that moment to feel more relaxed and just a tiny bit happier? Can you keep on concentrating on your breath? Take a short walk in the park? Look at the clouds? Take a yoga class?
Give yourself a break – even if it is for a minute or two.
The other belief that keeps many from continuing with yoga classes is this:
“Everybody will look at me and laugh at me during my struggles to follow instructions.”
The truth is yogis have no time to check out each other’s efforts as they are concentrating on their own practice. Yoga requires focus.
You will be totally immersed in your own practice during class. You might even forget about time and get into flow! Such a wonderful experience to arrive back to reality fully energized after a yoga flow state!
Plus we are nice people at Clayton Yoga – all our instructors and students are friendly and supportive souls. There is nothing to fear except your own fear itself!
Do you still have questions about how to make yoga part of your life? Don’t be shy – ask your teacher or Michelle. You can contact us through our contact form, call us 314-630-1677 or email to info at claytonyoga.com.
When will we see you next time in Clayton Yoga studio?
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I am truly inspired by my students, not when they achieve the perfect pose but when they are struggling and out of their comfort zone but pulling through anyway.
It is so important to remember: “everyone has to start somewhere.”