On the first of March 2021, I decided to start doing yoga every single day. This was on the back of advice I’d received from my psychologist, who recommended I incorporate yoga as a daily tool to help manage stress. I took her advice and three months later, I have stuck to doing yoga every single day. In April, I decided to add an evening session as well so I’ve been doing yoga twice a day for almost two months. It wasn’t easy at the beginning. I showed up to the mat with lots of preconceived ideas of how my yoga experience should be. I was hesitant to try incase it revealed that I wasn’t as flexible as I’d thought or as supple as I wanted. Looking back it was so ridiculous to be nervous to try something because of the fear that it will confirm “the worst” about me. I guess that’s why I needed the daily practice, to step out of that thinking; not just on the mat but in every aspect of my life.
Cliche’s exist for a reason and one that will always resonate with me is that consistency is key. There is so much power in doing what’s good for you, doing what feels good and doing what challenges you as consistently as possible. I’ve confronted so many versions of myself on the yoga mat and it’s enabled me to show up more confidently in my every day life. There are mornings I don’t feel like doing yoga and evenings I’d rather get straight into bed. There are periods where I’m carrying so much anger and frustration it seems ridiculous to do something which may distract me from “my very urgent feelings”.
Through the daily practice, I’ve come to appreciate the idea of showing up as I am, with all the feelings, both physical and emotional. I’ve come to acknowledge that taking precious time to myself in a mindful manner, not only strengthens my relationship with myself but also sharpens my intuition. Most of all, I’ve learned to let go of the idea of the ‘perfect destination’. When I used to work out before, I’d tell myself that I was working towards my ideal body and there was some kind of destination I would reach and everything would be great. However, with my daily yoga practice, most days I get on the mat and the only intention I have is for that specific session or for the day. While I may have goals to do certain poses and reach certain levels of flexibility, those goals are not front and centre of my practice. I’ve realised that they will materialise when they do and in the meantime, I’ll continue showing up for myself on the mat without the pressure.
I’m excited to be on this yoga journey. This is one of those things you pick up and say “only good can come of this” so you may as well commit fully. I’m toying with the idea of going on a yoga course to get certified but it’s a far away idea at this stage. Maybe after a year of committed practice, I can take it up more seriously. If you’re a yoga lover or someone who’s getting into yoga, let me know what lessons you’ve gleaned from practicing in the comments below!
