Be kind. Unwind.
The beginning of the year is often a time when we heap pressure on ourselves to make changes—get healthy, lose weight, do whatever it is that we have been meaning to do to improve our daily lives. Saddled with the drag of overindulgence and a little panic in our eyes, we set unrealistic goals in the hope that the sheer urgency of it all will propel us into a new way of being in the world… Ok, ok, we know how this ends. So how about, this year, we focus on just one simple goal - to be kind to ourselves?
Now, hang on a minute, you might say. Kindness doesn’t get me off the couch… Kindness doesn’t burn calories… Kindness doesn’t get a handle on my finances! What’s the point of hugging myself all day long when I’ve got serious things to achieve?! In our pushy, results-driven culture, there is a myth that being kind to ourselves is about letting ourselves off the hook, taking the easy option, being lazy even. I’m here to remind you that true self-kindness is actually really hard! And it is a practice worth committing to.
So how can yoga help?
The practice of being kind to ourselves starts with self-awareness. One of the most important lessons yoga teaches us is how to observe ourselves in a non-judgmental way, so that we can better understand what is truly going on for us in any given moment. This insight helps us to know when it is time to lean in to a situation (or pose), and when we might need to bring a little more surrender into our lives.
Plank pose is hard, but if you’ve ever tried to watch over yourself moment-to-moment, without judgement, you will know that this is a herculean task! Self-awareness is a muscle in itself. Just like any other muscle, with practice, it becomes stronger and more efficient, and it can play an essential role in our ability to cultivate meaningful and lasting change in our lives, as we learn to understand more clearly what we truly need.
The practice of self-awareness is one of the many amazing things that differentiates yoga from other forms of exercise. Yes, we are practicing physical poses that are fabulous for cultivating strength, flexibility and balance. But we are also practicing being present with whatever is coming up. In each pose, we are feeling the sensations in our bodies, tuning into our breath, observing the comings and goings of our mind and paying attention to the vast array of emotions we are experiencing, moment to moment. Of course, we get stronger and fitter in our bodies which is an incredible benefit, but on a deeper level, we are also learning how to develop the insight and clarity needed to help us make better choices—for ourselves and those around us—in our daily lives.
When we really tune in to how we are feeling, it is clear to see that pushing ourselves isn’t always the answer. Some days, it is true that the kind thing to do is to drag our cute behinds onto our mats and lean into the fire of a more active practice, to challenge ourselves in uncomfortable ways that we will absolutely thank ourselves for later. But on just as many days, if not more, if we truly listen in, we will discover that the kindest thing we can possibly do for ourselves in that particular moment is LESS. Take the gentle class, try the extra modification, enjoy a longer rest in between poses.
An extra benefit of being kind to ourselves is the fact that when we give ourselves permission to do less and breathe more, we are much more likely to make it onto our yoga mat each week. We trust that we will take the time to tune in to how we are feeling, and then modify the practice accordingly so that when we get up at the end of class, we will feel better than when we started. And remember, if we just make it onto our mats, we win the world!
So, toss aside all pressure and expectations of what you think you should be achieving tomorrow, and, instead, be kind and unwind TODAY with this gentle YLC Express class, specifically designed to make a return to your yoga mat, on any given day, a lovely soft landing.
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Do yoga. Feel better. It’s that simple!