Worrier or Warrior Pose?

I love this image, because I think so many of us feel this way when we show up to class-especially a class, teacher, or even style of yoga that's new to us.

Since we are expected to move through pose after pose in class, it's easy to feel like yoga is all about how you're moving....whether you're doing it "right" or "wrong".  But yoga is about so much more than postures.

Tthe second Yoga Sutra tells us that yoga is a calming of the "monkey mind"-- all those little thought bubbles that pop up in your Warrior 2.! Pantanjali said "If you can control the rising of the mind into ripples, you will experience Yoga."

How to calm the monkey mind is a journey that's different for every person.  Here are a few tips to turning your Worrier into a Warrior:

• Focus on your breath.  If you're watching your breath move in and out, you might forget what you were worrying about.
• Try closing your eyes.  When the visual is turned off, it's easier to tune into what's going on inside.
• Remember that no one is looking at your practice.  They are worried about their own.
• There is no right and wrong in yoga.  Your pose does not need to look like anyone else's.
• There are variations and modifications to make just about every pose accessible to your body.  If your teacher isn't offering options--ask!
• Yoga is not about swiping your mind clean.  Do not expect a blank slate or the ceasing of thought.  

The bottom line is  just keep showing up!  Commit to spending time with yourself on your mat.  Once you find your breath, you may just start to find yourself.  Your strong, focused, confident, Warrior self.

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