photo credit: Stuart F Taylor, Writer & Illustrator, London UK
“Erm, Rosanna, it’s June already. Summer Solstice was last week and we’re halfway through the year. Isn’t this the sort of question people ask in January, at New Year’s?”
Yes. And often it is. Followed by a string of add-on questions, like:
and…
be the best version of you?”
get super fit and achieve that dream bod you’ve always wanted?”
stay motivated DAILY, keeping to all your deadlines?”
We ask ourselves (and let others tell us) to be on top, wonderful, perfect all day long. The stakes go high, and it’s no surprise we fall.
Motivational when the comfort of Winter has it’s grip? Yes, up to a point. Pressurising and a tad unrealistic? A little too.
Just be you – warts and all
Well, I want to take the pressure off. Back track a little, and just ask you the first question, because chances are your humanness got in the way of your wild hopes and plans for 2015, and the rocket you intended to zoom through the year on got a wing tear. So, my question is, simply: Will you show up in 2015? And then my pen goes down. I’m asking you to join us as you are, in knowing that’s OK; you’re wonderful right now and before you aim into the night for super toned arms and rock solid abs. I’m asking you to join us when you feel less than, as well as on top; cranky as well as chirpy; heavy as well as light.
Let’s take the pressure down a notch, and forget about that “glow” you see on the models in the magazines. Let yourself off the hook a bit, and roll your mat out on rainy days as well as bright ones. It can hold you, you know, warts and all.
Question: Will you give yourself a softer time and let yourself (and all versions of) be seen?
Because it’s easy to love ourselves when we’re achieving our goals, in shape and the “us” we’re happy for our friends to know. But what about when we’re not? When we’re in overwhelm, sadness or breaking down. Society might say we need to keep things together, but that’s in forgetting or masking all parts of ourselves, which there really is nothing wrong with. Our angry, just coping and down days – these are times to show our faces too, and in order to receive the extra care and attention we need to remind us we’re whole. Something or someone to hold us and whisper in our ear we’re still beautiful.
We live in a time of many pressures, right? And yoga can be something to help us, and take the pressure off. Let’s not walk past this golden opportunity, in seeing it as something that it’s not. Let’s do our best to keep the integrity of yoga, as a practice for peace and calm, energy and freedom.
So, next time you find yourself with a long list of “shoulds” and “should nots” for the yoga room – stop and think. No need to go into debt buying all the latest trendy outfits or hit the treadmill in order to lose a few pounds before arriving in class. Sweetie, you’re perfect as you are – and it’s time to have an adventure.
Just put your comfy gear on and come as you are, right now – whatever that may be. And when you get here, you’ll reliase we’re all the same anyway – some just hide their warts better than others.