Last Sunday morning, I was flitting from room to room doing morning things. There were various spaces to be tidied and coffee to be consumed… you know… all the average stuff we all do that wellness influencers often sanitize from their feeds. Having two adorable slobs for pets (See above. The camera angle is almost as awkward as their relationship.), being a chaotic creative type, and having a spouse in the military who travels constantly means that there’s always a lot for me to take care of. While I was flitting, my spouse was taking some well-deserved time to rest and channel surf.
Drop and give me…yoga
As he surfed, he stumbled on a yoga practice on TV. I abandoned my chores and headed toward the sound of cueing. As the teacher sent her TV students into Downward Facing Dog, I couldn’t help but join in. I had just eaten breakfast, I didn’t have my mat or blocks, and I was still in pajamas. Even though I keep my list of things needed to practice yoga pretty short, I don’t usually engage in the physical practice this way.
My spouse, fully understanding my impulse to join in even though he’s not into yoga, left the practice running and picked up a book. The class was brief, and the movements were kind. This was the yoga of a Sunday morning on PBS for an audience completely diverse in needs, backgrounds, and skill levels. There would be no wild feats of daring, no esoteric discussion, and no clouds of essential oil. The pace would be steady and slow.
It can be a ceremony, but it doesn’t have to be
As I returned from savasana, I felt the familiar effects of the physical practice. Here was the clear-eyed awareness, the depth of breath, the softening of tense muscles, and the feeling that my mind and body were recalibrated and working together. Before I had any understanding of the eight limbs of yoga beyond asana (movements) and pranayama (breathwork), it was this way of being that kept me coming back to class and wanting to learn more.
I try to find pockets of mindfulness throughout the day no matter what I’m doing, but when I engage in the physical practice, it’s typically more of an event. I have clothes that I wear when I'm on my mat (not fancy ones – just ones that fit in a certain way and allow me to move) and a way that I set up the environment. I almost always make sure that there have been a few hours between eating a full meal and practicing. I even brush my teeth before I practice. I don’t know why. I’ve just been doing that for years.
This TV yoga reminded me that I need even less. There’s certainly nothing wrong with having a meaningful pre-yoga-practice ritual. At the same time, if you show up, you already have enough.
I’ve been saying it, but I needed to explore it more. As we remove barriers to entry for ourselves, it’s more likely that we will be able to do the work. I love going to in-person or live-streaming classes with friends, but there are very few of us that can do that every single day. At some point, you’ll want to take what you learn in class and explore it on your own time. Do you allow yourself to do that, or are there rules?
Time to self-reflect
I encourage you to take a moment to think about when and how you practice. Many of us have reasons why we are unable to drop what we’re doing to engage in the physical limb of yoga. There are always considerations of space, time, physical and emotional states, family obligations, and support or lack of it. All that stuff aside, have you created barriers (intentionally or unintentionally) for yourself? What is necessary and true for you to walk this path? I know I’m going to think about this question in the weeks ahead.
Have you done any impromptu yoga lately?