Deepening Practice

Practice and all is coming – Sri K. Pattabhi

My love of yoga and all the wonderful benefits it brings into my life, is the very essence of why I step on to my mat daily. It is not a thought that occurs, practicing is just a natural part of me, of my day and has been for the last fourteen months.

Through this I know I’ve found an amazing connection to myself. Yoga continues to gift me an opening for understanding and discovering aspects of myself I feel are missing and I feel more whole and content.

By slowly revealing myself through peeling back the layers, I can begin to analyze my choices and thought process.

· Why do I react a certain way?

· How can I improve my inner dialogue?

· How can I improve my choices?

· Can I let go of things that no longer serve me without blame and bitterness?

· Can I be more compassionate towards myself and those around me?

Compassion and acceptance are so prominent in my physical practice, and these are feelings that strongly translate into my emotional wellbeing.

During the summer I have embraced all aspects of yoga and indulged in my passion of it! Whether I’m flowing at home or on the gym floor, I pursue and fill my heart up with this beautiful practice that encourages me to give my best, to surrender all of me and in return it gives me just what I need, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

I took a ‘leap of faith’ (thank you Brendan @rawmotionfitness for the inspiration!) and threw myself mind, body and soul into numerous IG Yoga challenges.

Some within my comfort zone, and some not!

Whilst sharing with the yoga community, I have found support, encouragement and kindness radiate back from them. It is so lovely to connect with others who share this love for yoga wholeheartedly.

IG yoga challenges are for all abilities, just stay true to your practice. I encourage anyone to join in. Do not be intimidated by advanced yogis, everyone’s journey is at a different stage of progression. It is a lot of fun and very inspiring, you also learn a lot through talking to others within the community.

Yoga is not competitive; it is not about how deep your backbend is or how high your leg goes. The practice is unique to each of us, its about discovering yourself and how it makes you feel.

I feel my practice has deepened, through free flowing …thinking about transitions…not thinking about transitions and moving intuitively, exploring my capabilities, and expanding my knowledge of the asanas including the beautiful Sanskrit names, are just a few of the areas I have nurtured within.

Creating and flowing freely is very different indeed to following an instructor in class. You step onto your mat and flow. By yourself, no instructions just your love for it and the knowledge you have gained on your journey so far. I let go of fear despite all the internal doubts in my head such as.

· Can I do it?

· Can I move and think freely?

· Do I feel it?

· Am I good enough?

· How am I going to transition from one asana to the next?

· How am I going to move around the mat?

· Does my intuitive thinking connect to the foundations and physical fundamentals of a yoga practice?

· Will my love and respect for the beauty of the ethics of yoga shine through?

· Can I get comfortable with being uncomfortable?

There were and are continually so many questions! We’ll never know the answers unless we try. The truth of the matter is that getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is how we grow. We may not like it, and the first step is always the hardest, but after that, you’re on your way!

I found myself embracing every challenge with acceptance for my practice and abilities, this has given me an inner peace I’ve not experienced before.

Let your mind, thoughts and your body’s abilities be more than enough. Celebrate what your body can do for you, not what it can’t. These words are powerful, and they resonate. Just do it for the pure joy within.

I feel a shift, it’s profound. The pressure I put on myself to be physically ‘good enough’ to embark on my YTT has lifted. I feel at ease and completely free knowing in my heart that I will get to where I want to be.

My anxiety to attain asanas in a race against time has subsided.

There is calmness and contentment within myself in the knowledge that yoga will be a huge part in my life’s future is a realization that feels like simply ‘coming home’. It feels wonderful.

This emotional shift is tangible, a connection to practicing from my heart through the Yamas and Niyamas which I am exploring on a deeper level.

Yoga continues to be so much more than the physical. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Your inner strength, resilience and courage will surface, and you will find out a little bit more about yourself.

I continue to document my journey on my social media and the challenges I took part in are all on my main feed or within the yoga ig challenges highlights.

#aloroundtheworld Jul 15 – 22

#yogisupsanddowns Jul 26 – 30

#letsalobuildaflow Aug 1 – 10

#thirstythursdayreelandflow

#fivefflow Aug 16 – 20

#alovelatesummer Aug 23 - 30

THE GOAL OF YOGA

(no it's not handstand)

The yoga pose is not the goal.

Becoming more flexible or standing on

your hands is not the goal.

The goal is to create space where