Back to Basics

This evening I decided to be courageous and to be daring... no not bikram yoga or hot yoga, not even Ashtanga or Power yoga... dun dun dun.... I took a beginner class! This is something I have not done in about 10 years or more if I really had to think about it. The thoughts of attending a beginner class were a little bit daunting as with anything that you have done for a very long time, I have picked up some bad habits I am sure.

I entered class with low, or maybe even no expectations of how it would be. For the first few minutes I thought oh god maybe I should leave, this class is probably not for me - I will be discovered as a fraud, I am not a beginner and everyone will know. The instructor started talking and my first thought was oh no, this really is going to be too basic. Then I clicked in my head that that was the reason I was here - to learn and to get back to basics. Every yoga class is for everyone, whether that be beginner or advanced. A beginner should be able to take a beginner class or advanced class and do something with it. I decided quickly to embrace this opportunity and learn from this woman who was speaking in such a nice slow angelic voice. To listen to my body and respect it's limitations. To really take the time and explore the postures. As beginners take more time to enter into a posture I could use that time while already in it to really feel what was happening in my body and in my mind.

There were not a tone of postures done, but I still felt great at the end. I learned more from listening and experiencing another teacher. I was also able to hang out and experience "the edge" or "the wall" in some postures which was nice for me too as this is something that I don't always do in my personal practice at home.

This week in our training we are practicing Satya - truthfulness. Since I felt as if not telling this wonderful instructor that I was in the teacher training (It had been suggested by our instructors that we do this) I approached her after and thanked her for her class and told her it was lovely and that I was in the TTC. She was very open and welcoming of this and did say that it showed - my postures were advanced. I got giddy at this and though again - who cares how advanced my postures are as I was where all these beginners were a long time ago and sometimes I am still there.

Going back to basics in yoga can also transfer into going back to basics in life. I was feeling very stressed out as I entered the studio with thoughts of Christmas - a time of year that most people love but quite honestly I find is filled with pressure. I am going to try to bring that back to basics as well and ignore the pressures of what is expected and just do what I can!

Namaste
J.