Tag: attitude

Embrace struggle

KathrinLeave a comment

„Embrace struggle. While almost all yogis struggle with the poses, the struggle is meant to be a teacher. Wherever you meet your challenge is where your yoga begins.“

(Kino McGregor)

This is not only true when it comes to yoga, but exactly the same off the mat. When accepting this while practicing, the next level is to integrate this approach – or is it an attitude? – into the rest of our lives. 

My call was yesterday. Early morning, my home office desk packed with two laptops and two mobiles and I put my cup filled with hot lemon water on the desk. You guess right…. somehow my hand sticked to that cup when I turned…. yup, my work laptop received a hot bath, while everything else just got a bit wet. I stayed surprisingly calm, but hesitated slightly what to rescue first. It was a disaster. The entire desk turned into a pool. After drying everything, it didn’t seem to be too bad, all was working. Well, for 5 minutes. The screen started flickering and boom, dead. My day packed with meetings and no work emails or work chat on my mobile. I couldn’t tell anyone. Baaam.

IT wasn’t much of a help, as they deal with PC, not Mac. Plus, home office doesn’t really support any quick fix here.

Embrace the struggle. What was it teaching me? That I should get my work emails on my phone? Eventually. What else? To stay calm. To figure out, what I can do, accept what I can’t. The world will continue moving anyhow. My old me would have panicked, making a huge noise, driving everyone mad…. somehow I managed to stay calm, even understanding those who could not help at all or reacted a bit shitty. Overall grateful for an idea that somehow lead to the next and the next and finally to a new laptop. 

Later in the evening, when I kind of collapsed on my sofa, I felt this internal restlessness and it took me hours to release. The effect of keeping countenance all day long. Of practicing yoga all day. Yes, yoga off the mat.

Today I laughed about it. Even though I lost many files and notices. So what. I can’t change anything about it. I’m proud that I managed this challenging situation this way. My yoga is paying off. Very grateful. 

What has Aparigraha to do with happiness?

KathrinLeave a comment

I’m sure you’ve heard about the Yamas and Niyamas. The ethical and spiritual observances that should help us develop the more profound qualities of our humanity. They represent a series of “right living“, kind of rules or guidelines within Hinduism and Yoga. They were first detailed in the Upanishads and then Patanjali describes them his Yoga Sutras some years later.

One of the Yamas is Aparigraha. Which means nonpossessiveness, detachment.

On the mat it could be translated into „let go“. Let go of expectations. Let go of your desperate desire to master a certain posture. We’ve got the tendency to „hold“, particularly when it gets challenging. Either active, when it’s about holding the breath. Or more passive, when it’s about holding any emotions that manifest into tension and stiffness. When practicing asanas, try to not just push and stretch, but be aware of what’s going on in your body AND in your mind. Release and let go of what you are afraid of. Be careful and easy with yourself. Let it flow and follow your breath! Our hips are well known as a storage for emotions. So hip opening postures are quite useful, practicing with the appropriate intention and breath.

Off the mat, it’s also about letting go of your attachments. On a rather material level, think about cleaning out the clutter by getting rid of all the things you don’t need anymore. Make room! Get rid of any weight! In your relationships, it might be about forgiving others and with this, free yourself from resentment. If there’s anything dragging you down, ask yourself „is it really about me?“, I beg it’s not.

Make happiness your attitude. Life on and off the mat is so much easier and effortless when you’ve found YOUR happiness within yourself. Independent of any possession, independent from anybody’s mood or even appreciation.

Read more about it in my happiness post on my other blog love.breathe.shine.

Practice Aparigraha and keep on rocking your happiness yogis!

Coming home

KathrinLeave a comment

What’s your approach?

Are there any asanas driving you nuts as they appear unattainable? You’re trying again and again, but still can’t imagine to ever be able doing them? What about this thought:

It’s not the asana being exhausting, but your attitude.

Ups!

What are your expectations? Your objectives? Why is it so important? What’s going on in your head while practicing? Wanna be „perfect“? „Better“? What thoughts are holding you back?

Yep, we all got this from time to time, this feeling to not progress at all, or even worse, to not be good enough. Particularly when we can’t accomplish a posture and so want to.

Darling, be kind to yourself! Challenge yourself, but don’t push hard. Respect your limitations and stop worrying. It might be not the right time. It might require a bit more strength. Maybe it’s not even physically, but your mind, that should simply stop that noise. Be patient. Play. Laugh. Practice with a calm mind, an open heart and let go. Overthinking kills any progress. Yoga isn’t a competition. Yoga is the process of coming home. Home to yourself. 

Sri K. Patthabi Jois said: „Do your practice and all is coming“. This is the secret. Work WITH your body, not against. Allow your body to develop and progress in your own time. Feel what you’re doing. Listen to your body, connect.

Remind yourself to enjoy the ride, love! It’s your ride home.