I walked into the studio, my mat grasped tightly in my grip, and my eyes down on the floor. I lay out my mat, grab a block, and take off my shoes. Although I have been to countless classes, I still am a bit nervous at the beginning. My mind is full of thoughts running rampant—the readings I need to get done, the article I have due soon, the laundry I need to fold, the dishes I need to wash. It is as though I cannot take a break, and so I bring my baggage along with me to class.
As the instructor walks in, he welcomes everyone back and gives us a warm smile. We begin in child’s pose, feeling where our bodies are tight and slowly aligning our breath with our movements. We move on, and I find myself standing in a room with a bunch of strangers, our eyes closed and our hands at the heart center. Here, we are nothing but our minds, bodies, souls. We are not the baggage that we carry or the issues that we face. We are not bound by the words that harm us, but by the intentions that release our frustrations.
And so I set my intention for the class: patience.
We slowly move through the vinyasa, and I am no longer focused on the baggage I brought to class. Rather than dwelling on all that I still have to complete, I focus on my movements, my breathing, my yoga. All nervousness subsides as I move between Warrior II, Extended Warrior, Triangle Pose, Extended Side Angle. I make eye contact with myself in the mirror and remind myself that I am here for many reasons. My stress has diminished, my body has become more flexible, my mind has become more aware, and my heart has opened. The way that I feel after a yoga class is a feeling that cannot be matched by any other practice.
As I reflect on the class, I am overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude. Not only did I have the chance to reconnect my body and mind and let go of what was weighing me down, but I also was able to do so in a healthy manner. So many times we adopt this “go go go” mentality, and forget to slow down and allow ourselves to relax. We reach a critical point and tend to turn toward the almost effortless comforts that are close at hand—a drink or two or three with our friends when the weekend finally arrives, a day of munching on whatever it is that we can find as we binge-watch our favorite television shows, even excessive sleeping when we are hit with a wave of exhaustion. Every now and again, these things are not detrimental to our progress. Once we make a habit of them, however, we tend to lose focus on what we need to do to keep ourselves healthy and happy. We brush our problems under the rug until they build up so much that we cannot help but trip over them.
Yoga is our opportunity to ground ourselves once more, when it seems as though we are getting off track. Most of us don’t approach yoga thinking that we will become experts in only a few short sessions, but rather that we believe it can help alleviate our stress. My go-to intention is patience because when all else fails, I know that I can get through anything that life puts in my way with a little patience. I’m not always patient, and sometimes I even find myself frustrated in class when a pose does not go as I thought it would.
But as my instructor always reassures me, it’s called yoga practice, not yoga perfect.
