Be Your Own Motivational Speaker

10/29/12

     I have a terrible time motivating myself. Even to do things that I want to do, aren't difficult to do or won't take a lot of time to do. The longer it takes me to complete a task, the harder it is for me to get done. Procrastination is ingrained in me, conditioned early on by those around me when I was a kid. These are the hardest habits to overcome because they often are embodied by the first loves of our lives. 

    Even if you're not a procrastinator, everyone has something that is a chore for them. Maybe some days it's going to work, or working out or getting to class. Maybe it's being nice to the person you think is moronic. Maybe it's holding down dog (adho mukha svanasana) or a warrior pose (virhavadrasana). I know a few who despise pigeon (eka pada rajakapotasana). Sometimes doing the healthy thing is a difficult decision to make. Doing something good for yourself, taking care of yourself, knowing what you need and taking action based on that knowledge isn't always easy for those used to caring for others first. Maybe resisting something you know you shouldn't do is a challenge often unmet.  

     The list could go on and on. It would be so much easier if there were someone energetic and enthusiastic who could follow us around all day and tell us how wonderful and capable we really are. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen (all the time) so you have to be your own motivational speaker. In order to effectively do so, you have to believe in yourself. Yes, I am fully aware that this is a cliche, but that doesn't make it any less true. Your inner monologue has to be not only positive but true. So examine the voice with which you speak to yourself. What does it sound like? How does it compare to the way you speak to others? How does it compare to the way you would find unacceptable to speak even to the person you find the most irritating? 

    If the answer to these questions is cruel and unacceptable for addressing another human, then there may be some room for improvement. You are an exceptional, capable human being. Everyday you are learning how to be even better. Find these truths about yourself . Settle into the point of view that you are excellent, backed by the facts of what you are capable of. Then you can look at those pieces of yourself you don't like without the nasty voice. You will be able to accept these aspects as another part of your glorious self. These less than desirable traits don't make you bad. They don't make you wrong. Nor are you wrong for hating them. You don't need to be fixed. 

    Remember, if there is something you don't like about yourself, 

    Everything changes. 

You do Not Need to be Fixed

10/15/12

          Recently, I did my first (brief) asana practice since Sydonia was born. It was purposefully slow and deliberate. I needed to assess what my abilities have become. The thought that occurred to me while breathing was “There’s nothing about yourself that needs to be fixed.” It’s easy to get caught up in the self improvement mentality of yoga. Especially when you are feeling vulnerable and out of touch with yourself, whether it be physical body or mental processes. While it is important to be honest with yourself about the level of your ability, it is equally important not to compare that ability. Only you can decide what is appropriate for you. If you start watching people around you with the intention of being like them or better than them, you will set yourself up to be insecure.

Validate your own self worth from within instead of relying on validation from others. There is nothing wrong with you. You simply require attention. Being aware of yourself and the reason behind your thoughts and actions will allow you to act as opposed to react. You will choose actions that are appropriate for you and the situation, instead of what may be imposed upon you by some societal standard or what may be a habit of your personality from years of conditioning.

If you can be confident of yourself and your abilities, you won’t need to rely on the fleeting opinions of others. Positive or negative, the opinions of others will hold less sway when you take the time to reaffirm what you already know: that you are a capable individual who deserves good in your life.

            So practice a positive and honest inner monologue. Move slowly enough to examine your range of motion with out the risk of injury from over reaching. Don’t let your practice be another way to enforce your habitual way of thinking. Don’t use your practice as a platform to prove anything to yourself. Be open and watch. As you practice yoga or even as you move through your day, listen to the tone of voice you habitually address yourself with. Make sure that you don’t tear yourself down. There are enough people in the world willing to tear you down to temporarily feel better about themselves. Take time to pay attention enough to yourself to gradually shift your thoughts from negative to positive and uplifting. 

A Moment in Time

8/26/12

            I have waited a long time to have another child. When I contemplate labor and delivery, I feel immediate fear and apprehension. I have the great fortune of experience, having had a child before, but my previous experience was over shadowed by fear. I was so intimidated by the prospect of pain and suffering, and subsequent motherhood that I did not sufficiently prepare. Today I have many techniques to attempt to alleviate these strong emotions, as well as help me through labor and delivery, thanks to my yoga practice.

            Mantra is one such technique that I full intend on utilizing before, during and after labor. It can be a powerful tool for self transformation. The mantra I've encountered in yoga classes have been Sanskrit prayers; or the translations of them. But for my purposes (endurance and focus in the face of excruciating pain) I have been contemplating the idea of a moment in time.

            A moment in time is a good mantra for anytime in life, for any person. I remember in high school I had a note that I posed in my room which read “This too shall pass”. Through anxiety, sadness, pain, even happiness and joy, we have but to endure each moment to get through it. We can rest assured that things will change, if given enough time. This idea can get us through difficult times.

Time is so very subjective. How often have you looked retrospectively at an event in your life to notice how quickly the time passed as it occurred, yet while you were in the midst of it, it seemed like an eternity?

                        As far as asana is concerned, remembering but a moment in time while you practice any asana that you find irritating, painful, or otherwise difficult, can help you persevere through those difficulties. If I were going to teach this class, I’d pick as many irritating poses as I could think of. In order to truly practice this idea, don't run away from what you dislike. Watch your reactions while you endure the time and as you learn about yourself, you'll be able to handle the situation, or the feelings that arise from it, with grace. 

Welcome to the Journey

Welcome ladies and gentlemen to a place for self exploration.

Every week I will be posting the intention of the yoga classes I teach. I hope that this will not only give my students a chance to incorporate these ideas and the thoughts that result more fully into their lives (as opposed to giving them a glance but once a week) but also anyone who is interested in knowing themselves better.

Yoga has many benefits to the practitioner. Our society has latched on to the physical benefits because they're the easiest to see and measure, but you can be a yoga practitioner without ever having moved on a mat.

All are welcome here and I encourage you to share your thoughts as different perspectives will help us all learn and grow.