Here is today’s yoga thought.

Move through practice softly ~ like a delicate stream, rather than a rushing river.  Consider each action before reacting.  Contemplate the action.

My yoga instructor was funny today.  (And I use the word ‘funny’ loosely).  She began class by letting us know that we were not going to move through postures quickly.  Instead, we were going to move slowly through the motions, and with intention.  With mindfulness and thoughtfulness.  She said (with a smile) not to worry about class being hard.  Just because we were moving slowly didn’t mean it wouldn’t be challenging.  She wasn’t joking.

Holding poses has always been  a challenge for me ~ and I didn’t start to make real progress with it until I began going regularly to yoga on Tuesdays.  Well ~ regular yoga practice in conjunction with training.

Let me explain.

I have always been very impatient.  I have a couple of theories about why that is, but needless to say, that’s the universal conclusion.  Impatience.  When I began training for the Broad Street, I learned very quickly that progress came slowly, and because of that, I reminded myself daily that each step was moving in the right direction.  Even if I felt no movement had been made at all.

That thought pattern came in very handy today.  Yes, I still struggle with holding poses, but the truth (my truth?) is any progress made is something I can own, as my very own.  The practice isn’t about how fast things happen ~ it’s that the progress is continual.  (Or at least, that’s where my mind focused this evening.  Class was also about the delicate stream finding crevices and pushing through those crevices ~ overcoming the obstacles to better appreciate the path … without the obstacles, the water flows easily, therefore not fully appreciating the act of moving in the first place.  Also very good meditation).  In a nutshell, the tortoise and the hare.

Here’s the thing.  In life, I find that it’s very easy to react immediately.  It’s much harder to take a breath, consider all angles, and move forward with those thoughts in mind.  Is it better? Umm, that’s an easy one.  Ninety-nine percent of the time, taking a moment to contemplate any idea thoughtfully is better than reacting viscerally.  Remembering that in the heat of the moment … infinitely harder.

Yoga -to me- has always been a reminder to stop, breath and consider the entire situation.  Everyone walks away from class with something ~ a good work out, a good stretch, a thoughtful spiritual message.  My shoulders feel lighter, and my heart less heavy after class on Tuesday night.  My mind is full of introspection, examination and thoughtfulness.  In the rush of everyday craziness, I often forget to be mindful.  I love that yoga helps me remember, and examine, my thoughts, choices and actions.  It helps create a tenuous balance for me.  And I know that continual practice will help me make progress toward a better version of myself.  Even if I don’t see progress every day, class this evening allowed me to remember that progress is being made.  Like a  delicate stream, or the tortoise.  Steady, and slow.