Clutter: Part II

Laura
Originally uploaded by muselan

In my last post I wrote about how old beliefs create clutter in our hearts and we want to keep flowing and growing with life, discarding beliefs whenever it is time to let them go. Yoga can also help! Yoga keeps our bodies moving and more fluid. When our bodies are more fluid there is less chance for stagnation. There is a caveat: you must make sure that beliefs haven’t begun to stagnate your practice. Beliefs can come up anytime anywhere and in any situation, even your mat.

Here are some of the most common beliefs I hear from students:

I will never be able to do that pose...(whichever pose it is)
I will never be flexible
I will never be strong enough
I don’t have time for a home practice
I can do a practice, but I don’t have time for Savasana
That is my bad shoulder/knee/back...
I don’t know what to do for a home practice so I always to the same 10 poses.
I can’t do restorative poses, they are too boring/time-consuming
I can’t do power yoga, it is too strenuous/sweaty/boring

Any sound familiar to you? Challenge your beliefs. I am constantly challenging my students’ beliefs (sometimes to their annoyance!), inviting them to see more perspectives, more possibilities. Maybe restorative yoga isn’t right for you right now, that doesn’t mean it won’t be right for you tomorrow. If you keep telling yourself it isn’t right, however, you will miss the opportunity to practice it when it is right.