Yoga for Everyone: Move, Breathe & Connect

Trying something new for the first time can be inherently intimidating. I see this with my kids, but also with myself, a grown woman. What if I mess up or do something embarrassing? What if everyone sees?

This is how I felt about trying yoga for the first time (and also, for that matter, teaching yoga for the first time!). Looking back, it feels so obvious that those thoughts were entirely unnecessary. First of all, who cares if I do something wrong?!? and second of all, no one is paying attention to anyone but themselves.

I’ve had countless people tell me they can’t do yoga because they’re not flexible enough or because they can quiet their mind. Ironic that the reasons they mention why they shouldn’t do yoga are exactly the reasons why I think they need to do it. We obvoiusly won't succeed at folding our torso onto our thighs or having a peaceful mind the first few (or many) times we try, but if we don't try, we certainly won't ever get there.

I don’t think I’ve ever been good at something the first time I tried it. Children are used to doing new things over and over and over again until they become proficient enough to complete the task. But for some reason, as adults, we forget this process. We want to excel at things right away, not waste time practicing.

These unrealistic expectations prevent us from experiencing new things, from growing and developing. If only we could see yoga for what it is: it is so much more than getting into a pretzel shape and impressing the people around you (or boosting your own ego). Yoga is about the breath, moving your body in a way that feels good, that allows you to connect with yourself and focus on this moment. Right here and now.

As with all things, some days will feel amazing and other days will feel miserable. But this is the beauty of my yoga practice and what it has taught me: I've come to cherish those horrible days because without them, I wouldn't value the beautiful moments where everything feels aligned.

Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hanh put it perfectly when he wrote:
“...we need to have mud for lotuses to grow. The mud doesn’t smell so good, but the lotus flower smells very good. If you don’t have mud, the lotus won’t manifest. You can’t grow lotus flowers on marble. Without mud, there can be no lotus.”
― Thích Nhất Hạnh, No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering

This quote makes me smile. It makes me pause and think of all the things I overlook, the things I take for granted. Life is so beautiful if we choose to see it that way. Even the dirt, the darkness, the struggle, the pain and suffering. They all serve a purpose.

So, the next time you're intimidated to try something new, do it anyway. Set your expectations so low that you can't do anything but succeed. One time someone told me that I should try to fail as often as possible. Ironically, this never works, for even if I don't "succeed," I learn something about myself or the world around me.

Try yoga, try meditation, travel the world, tell people you love them, and embrace all that life has to offer. Namaste.