Shit

Master Yogi Bryan Kest said: “We bring our shit into Yoga and we turn Yoga into shit.”

Do you do this? Do you bring your critical eye to your mat and then judge yourself harshly when a pose doesn’t work in your body? Do you bring that same critical eye to others, when really we should just focus on our own mats? I have. I don’t anymore, but I have.

Do you bring your insecurity to your mat and worry about your balance or if you look good in those pants? Do you bring your pain to your mat and just miss out on every beautiful part of your practice because you are giving attention to that which does not bring you joY, letting it rob you of the present moment?

Do you bring judgement to your mat, fear, anger, sorrow? It's OK. You can bring it there, but just don't let it take up the entire mat. Save some room for YOU!

Decide that you don’t deserve to feel badly. Decide that your body is just right in those pants and that your balance is what it is. Maybe it will get better. Maybe it is good enough.

Decide that you don't even have to do one single pose to truly practice Yoga. Does that sound crazy? Well, the ancient Yogis didn’t think so. They only developed the movements we now know as Yoga so that their bones and muscles and joints and ligaments and cells and blood . . . would benefit from all the time they spent on something else - finding enlightenment, quieting the mind, reaching for peace . . . and for joY.

What about all the rest? Those things are only your mind trying to feed your vanity. Don't feed it. Being humble is far more attractive.

Be humble. Be imperfect. Be aware. Be still. Just be.

Your mat is a metaphor for your life. All you must do on your mat is all you must do in your life.

Get rid of the shit.

Jeannette Maloy

joY

Yoga