Two of my yoga teachers are always encouraging us to set goals. You know, stuff like “In 6 months I’ll be vertical in locust” or “by the end of the year I’ll have my forehead on my knee.”
I don’t think setting goals is really my style. I’m more of a balls to the walls, do everything I can to improve as quickly as possible type. Maybe I don’t feel the need to set goals because I’m so obsessed with the yoga already that I don’t lack motivation. I certainly need goals and deadlines to make real-world type things happen in a timely fashion, but for yoga it’s something a little different.
Instead of worrying about setting goals, I think I need to worry about managing my expectations.
For example, I see myself as a yogi with a daily practice, but due to recent dehydration issues I’ve had to take time off. I’m currently practicing 4 times a week. I want to practice everyday (more than that really) but I was finally forced to practice what I preach and listen to my body. My body basically said enough is enough. I had gotten used to practicing while dehydrated and then I started using the energy of the yogis around me to keep me going until finally I was forced to shut it down when my hands started to feel numb even outside of class. I went from doing doubles, to just doing one class a day, to time off. Now, I’m trying to be smart about it and ease my way back in.
I feel like my locust hasn’t really improved despite doing many wall walks after class. My forehead and knee are still strangers until the last 10 minutes of class.^1
My yoga now is not so much doing the asanas as it is trying to accept how things are right now. I need to practice accepting where I am at this point in my practice. Of course, it extends outside of the yoga room. I need to accept who I am right now and being cool with that rather than always worrying about what I’m SUPPOSED to be. It’s funny cause I feel I’ve always yearned for this freedom, but it’s always been available right in front of me. All I have to do is let go of the expectations I place on myself and also not worry about what other people may or may not think.
Not worrying about what other think and not caring about what others think is two separate things. Not caring what others think (if that is even possible) is a form of disconnection. When you disconnect or numb yourself from the bad stuff, then you also numb yourself from the good stuff as well. The key is NOT to not care what other people think.
The key is that you yourself accept who you are, since that is all you have any real control over.
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1. The wall walks have definitely helped in other postures like standing bow. I was getting my forehead to my knee irregularly before I had to shut things down for a few days. All the yoga I’ve done this year has definitely brought about big changes, many pleasantly unexpected changes, but again, those pesky expectations…
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