Yoga. Yoga with Adriene. In a quest to Find What Feels Good. And in the process, be True to yourself.
What better way to kick off the new year. I attempted to commit to this series last year but wound up choosing my pillow over getting up a bit early each morning. This year, though, the theme of “TRUE” really called to me. I love her yoga series, her daily insights, the new ways of stretching and exploring what is happening in that very moment. Opening my mind and committing to myself for this home practice. It’s a journey. Some days felt better than others.
She had theme words for each day. Day 1 was motive. Motive has root meaning of to move. “We should think of motive as the thing that moves you to act.” What a great thing to ponder as we got started. What if the motivation comes from within? Day 2 was about Trust. I loved her language of “Let’s get real, your time is valuable.” Yes, it is. I’m trusting that the yoga she’s leading me through is the yoga I need, that it’s going to benefit me if I’m open to receiving it, and that it’s going to be worth my time. I trust myself to show up, and to be honest in how I’m feeling both on the mat and off. Days of Stretch and Salve and Floor were amazing, and perfectly timed. My body needed stretched, and nurtured. Deep breathing to work out the snags and tightness. I’m noticing that I’m not tired in the afternoons at work, despite getting up earlier than normal. I’m noticing that I’m breathing more deeply, not only on the mat but throughout my day. Inhaling through the nose. Exhaling through the mouth. Audibly hearing my breath. And then there were days of circulating energy, lighting a fire, and catching some waves. Waves of breath and movement, that is. Kindle day made me ponder how my mindset of getting strong might help my core and muscles, but what is it doing to my spine, my neck and my soul? This day made me consider the “practice of spiraling inward and meeting my appropriate edge.” I love those concepts.
How thick is the veil? Am I able to drop my expectations and just breathe?
I love how she says in Day 10, Detox, “No one expects you to master or jive with every practice. This journey is about spending time with yourself.” How many times do I put the expectation on myself that this workout, this practice, this session is going to be awesome and the best, and then feel like I let myself down if I wasn’t mentally or physically all in? It’s okay to drop those expectations. Not everything has to be a challenge. Some things are just part of the journey.
Open your eyes to the beauty around you, open your mind to the wonders of life, open your heart to those who love you, and always be true to yourself. – Maya Angelou
This practice was soothing and restorative and therapeutic. It built awareness. It made me smile. It made me look inward. I caught a lot of waves. Breath and energy waves, that is. The final day was a beautiful flowing practice, with no audible guidance, simply finding what feels good, flowing in your breath, moving to the soothing music she chose to share. It might be the most amazing, genuine practice I’ve ever experienced.
Some mornings the hardest part was simply getting on the mat, and as the month progressed, some mornings it even felt like a chore. But after each practice, it felt totally worth it. I showed up. Not for the 3 million other subscribers of Yoga with Adriene. But for myself. For my spine. For my spirit. And to kick the new year off right.
And now to continue with TRUE. Every Tuesday for the rest of the year. Thank you, Adriene, for creating such an incredible gift.
Sunflowers and Fog 