by CASSIE MCINTYRE
CTFashionMag.com
Whether you’re an established “yogi” or someone just starting out and beginning your yoga journey I want you to commit to getting on your mat every single day until the year ends.
It could be for meditation, yoga, a quick mental reset, or even something as simple as having a moment to breathe.
The time you take on your mat could change your whole perspective for the day even if it’s only five minutes. It may seem small and insignificant, but it only takes faith, the size of sesame seeds, to move mountains and with the holidays approaching I know it can be tough to take a moment for yourself. There’s no need to wait until you lose the weight or get the right job or have the perfect relationship or have the perfect body. The time is now, it’s time to stop making excuses, and it’s time to bring presence to your practice and commit.
There is no judgment in yoga, there is only the practice. It can be hard sometimes to think that you, with all/any of your “imperfections,” can join the world of yoga but yoga is for everybody and every body.
It may seem like yoga is a club of perfect people wearing all the right clothes, drinking the green juice, and talking about some trendy new essential oil thing but it’s not.
All that matters is your time you take to practice, you committing to yourself, and you giving yourself the time to get on your mat. To be a “yogi” is to find that space in your heart where you commit yourself to live a life of inner peace.
Commit yourself to being present in the moment on your mat. Commit to the practice no matter the time.
It can sometimes feel lonely and overwhelming to unroll your mat and focus your mind on days where we are feeling mentally exhausted but I have the confidence you can push through it and do it. If you are an at home yogi who doesn’t share much on social media, there is often little applause for your biggest accomplishments. If you have the opportunity to practice with a dedicated teacher you might see more feedback coming your way, some of which can help you keep going and dedicated to your yoga journey. Sometimes you can lose your inspiration and it can be hard to get up and start again but that’s why I’m asking you to recommit yourself to the practice with just five minutes a day.
The journey of a thousand miles begins when you take the first step and it continues through ups and downs each time you move forward.
If you feel overwhelmed by how far you have left to go, focus on the step that is front of you today. Take the time to reflect on how far you’ve come. If you feel you cannot take that step and you’ve hit a wall, it’s okay. Breathe, take a moment to see if you can do it anyway and try. The lesson here is to try. Commit to yourself and don’t give up. The real commitment in yoga is to yourself. You must learn to believe in yourself and your own sense of worthiness.
The material world is ever-changing and temporary. As you commit to taking the practice into your life, with as little as those five minutes a day, you will feel your yoga journey positively influencing the everyday moments in your life. Bringing your presence to the practice can help you bring a positive change to your daily tasks. Work, school, social events can all be positively influenced by taking that time for yourself to reflect.
Commit yourself to the journey not to get the perfect pose and not to gain recognition on some social media community hashtag. Instead commit yourself to the practice because you are worthy, and your journey is worth it.
Cassie McIntyre is a NASM certified personal trainer, yoga instructor, and nutritional coach at The Edge Fitness in Bristol.