Today my teacher cut my practice. She had advised me to get ready to let go of it, because soon enough she'd had to take half of it away in order to move forward. In my head I secretly freaked out. Even though my body was getting really tired of practicing every morning for 2 hours, my mind was secretly attached to the sweat and to the physical engagement of the practice, it needed it to identify itself with something. My whole schedule, and routine with food is directly related to my practice, so this was going to be a big change!
Finally the week has come. I had been so tired the previous week that I actually ended up really looking forward to it. I was ready. So monday came and my teacher approached me and I smiled at her, and she said "are you ready?" I was...I was also scared that my practice would go from 2 hours to a little over one hour, but I was ready.
The practice of Ashtanga Yoga teaches us we should continuously be open and flexible to change, to acceptance. It trains us to flex the letting go muscle! Ashtanga Yoga is divided in different series, once you 'master' one series the teacher starts adding poses of the following series, until you hit the half point of that series, then the old series is taken away. and your practice significantly shortens. This allows for you to have more energy to focus on the new poses, and really gives your body the space to be fully immersed in the current learning of that specific series. This gives you the space to unpack the 'gifts' these new poses hold, and most importantly it teaches you to adapt, to let go, to be present in the moment with what you have, rather then staying stuck to what is old. The old serves to create the foundation for what is to come, gives you the strength to be in the new. It supports it, it fuels it, and its always there to be revisited. But you must move on to new things, so you may evolve.
Yoga teaches us to Let go and adapt
My full primary and half second was what I knew, what I identified my practice, what I relied on everyday. this happens all the time in life, it could take the shape of a relationship, a food, a meal, a hobby, a dress, a book...Something you feel comfortable with, that u do every day, its always there and you can reach to it for support. When this happens there is a tendency for the human being to attach, meaning that our happiness begins to depend on it or cling onto it. We are bound to something outside of us, and that's setting ourselves up for pain.
Why is it so hard to let go?
For me it's the sense of familiarity, that gives me a sense of owning, of knowing, of safety.
Then something happens and that something is taken away.
And I am left with this sense of unknown, of instability, discomfort, uneasiness, maybe even unhappiness, fear...
All these feelings come up because I am resisting the inevitable…that being that things change all the time!
The practice of yoga is a daily reminder of that. It is designed to create flexibility in the body so over time we can relate this flexibility to life. We can adapt the flexibility of the body to the mind, to our relationships, to the way we react.
The practice is always changing, like life. When you think you mastered something, or when you become used to a certain practice then the teacher comes along and changes it up, gives you something new to work on. So you adapt, you cultivate humbleness and apply your flexibility. You allow for change to happen.
You invite the uncertain, the change and you go with the flow.
As I Practiced I realized how much more time I now had to really be in each pose, to explore my new poses. I had all this new space for exploration and it felt so good!
I am the number one scardy pants for change, but I also love the challenge! Is it time for you to make a change?What are you holding on to?
Do you need an support to let it go so you can move forward?
Feel free to reach out, this is what I do for a living! I'm here to support woman who are looking to embrace the change, and just need a little support in keeping up their goals!
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