Check the ego with the "om"

I've made it explicitly clear that I'm not a flexible yogi. I've always been the strong yogi. So what does a strong yogi do when she's dealing with an injury that prevents her from doing all the fun, strong-yogi-poses? Part 1: How the ego can get tangled up in our asana practice.

Asana is a physical practice. And just like any physical practice, you can't attach your ego to it. Yes, many perks come with physical pursuits (have y'all seen those Superbowl Championship rings?!). Those activities that gain fame and wealth are competitions, but yoga isn't a competition. The thing about anything physical is that there are so many factors that affect it: hydration, diet, sleep, stress, your emotional and energetic state, physical exertion of the previous day(s) (i.e., sore from a new barre class or hiking a peak), injuries, pregnancies, etc. The slightest shift in one of these factors can affect your ability to "perform," whether you're going for the big gold trophy in front of thousands of viewers or showing up to your yoga mat for your personal practice.

When you progress, it's easy to feel proud. On the flip side, it's easy to envy someone their practice, their ability to get into certain poses.  Some pride is natural. Yoga is a practice; it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to show up day after day and progress with your practice. Envy should be let go. When you see someone on the yoga mat next to you, you have no idea what is or isn't natural for him/her, how hard and often he/she's practiced, how some of the factors listed above have affected him/her. See if you can replace your envy with inspiration!

For me, yoga is about balance. I love yoga, am a certified instructor, and am a dedicated practitioner, but it's not the only thing I do. I'll be affected by the other things in my life: a long trail run, a mountainous hike, a new fitness class, a late night out dancing… I don't expect a steady progression forward within my practice. I'll have days where I feel tired, stiff, sore, and tight. Days where I am stressed and emotional. Setbacks due to injury, childbirth, and aging. Dealing with injury and illness is the hardest for me, especially when I'm starting to feel better. I have a habit of diving right back in to where I left off instead of easing in gradually. I could stop, drop, and handstand, constantly before tweaking my shoulder, so why shouldn't I just jump right back in to handstanding throughout the day… Um, maybe because my body isn't ready for that yet!

When you're running/yoga-ing/cycling/etc, why are you doing what you're doing? There are edges to be pushed in order to progress just as there are limitations to be honored. It's all about balancing the two, which takes some serious introspection, self awareness, and checking of the ego. Just because the teacher offers (I phrase it that way very intentionally) 40 vinyasas, doesn't mean that you have to take 40 vinyasas with 40 chaturangas. Just because your neighbor is doing 40 handstands with their 40 vinyasas and chaturangas, doesn't mean that you have to, too. Just because you took 50 vinyasas with double chaturangas (which means 100 yogi push ups!) yesterday, doesn't mean that you have to today. It's about knowing what YOU need and are capable of TODAY on your mat!

Keep an eye out for part 2: Practice what you preach!