Anxiety is often more about the anticipation of disappointment, distrusting life and facing the world with fear and a closed mind. People are scared to try yoga because they are scared of being disappointed by their body, by comparison to others or by the their progress. However as I have learnt…instead yoga can teach you to accept disappointment in day to day life and enjoy living more in the moment rather than being anxious about the result or the future.
Yoga in Cheshire Blog
Find out all the latest news and views from Tabitha and the other practitioners at Yoga in Cheshire.
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Making time & saying goodbye
Sometimes what we need the most are the activities that inspire us the least. So although it is often a strong practice that makes me buzz, it is the restorative & gentle practice & pranayama that changes me for the better. With this in mind I would suggest trying a different practice for a few days & observe the difference. Notice how what we want isn’t always what we need!
Luck
often question how I got to be so lucky, and how the luckier I get the more I seem to notice the potential to expand my life further. My personal journey has involved obstacles & hard decisions but I have always kept my internal belief that I am lucky- that somehow things will end up being better for life’s challenges or the change in direction. At times I have questioned my own belief…but is this belief system something provided through my nature or nuture?
Happiness
However whatever changes on the outside we are still the same inside. We need to find the secret of happiness within ourselves rather than look for fleeting glimpses in the outside world. I know from my experience that the more I practice yoga..the more content I feel.
Distractions from living
Distractions such as material possessions are, as they imply in the Buddhist tradition, part of what keeps us from achieving peace & contentment. Happiness is not about giving up on society or the wonders of new technology. Instead I feel it is about choosing what to take from the modern world & what to keep for yourself. Peace & quiet & the ability to play are under rated in modern society. My new years resolution is to appreciate this more & to try & explore further what makes me happy…
Introduction to me
This is represented in the yoga sutra 11.46 ‘stira sukam asanam’ which describes the yoga pose as stability with ease….or solidity with comfort. Our practice is an individual journey & provides attitude for living more tranquilly off the mat. Allowing us to relax into stressful situations & stay focused when our worlds are in turmoil.
Snow
My favorite pranayama (breathing) practice with always be working with the pause after the exhale…the time when the world stills & listens & the mind is calm. This is a practice that for me can be integrated into the asana (posture) practice & then linked into the stilling of the mind in meditation.
Yoga and change
oga Sutra 2.48 tatah dvandva anabhighata tells how asana (physical postures) practice will help a person endure & even minimize the effect of the external world on the body. Providing a greater freedom from suffering due to the pairs of opposites (such as heat and cold, good and bad, or pain and pleasure).
If you come to the practice of yoga with an open mind then I hope it will open up your world in many different ways…or as Eric Shiffmann said ”The release from fear is what finally precipitates the full flowering of love. In this state you will love what you see in others, and others will love you for having been seen. This is the softened perception of the world that yoga promotes.”
New year resolutions
I could write more of a rant than a blog at times when I think about new year resolutions & how people seem to set themselves up for failure with resolutions involving changes in lifestyle, body image or mind set. It is more positive to make small changes more often. To think of each rung of the ladder and not just about reaching the top…
new year intentions
how’s the new year for you? Have you started with good intentions & kept them or have you already started to lapse? New year resolutions can be about giving up, so we feel resentful toward them. Having made my resolutions more positive I have an advantage! Mine include more memorable experiences, quality time with myself […]