Man, do we adults take life soooo seriously! The to do lists, performing well at work, trying to be the "best" at whatever we are doing, making a mistake is the end of the world, worrying about what other think of us. Argh! That just makes me heavy and depressed just writing it down.
Yoga is about becoming aware of patterns in the body, mind and spirit that are no longer serving us and moving more towards the truth that we are all love, freedom and bliss. Yet, when in a yoga class or home practice, the tendency is to take things a little too seriously. You fall out of a pose, so what? Will the world stop turning? No! Have fun with it! Laugh, smile, do weird things with your body...do a pose "wrong." I make sure when I'm teaching and having students go into Utkatasana, chair pose, to remind them to turn the sides of their mouths up and smile because we are having fun! (Usually they are moving from a very serious look on their faces).
If you have a child, work with children, or have a grandchild, then you are blessed with the reminder to play and have fun, that the world is a place for us to explore and learn about, and that being silly and laughing makes the heart and mind lighter. When we remember to enjoy what we are doing and that we are blessed for what we have, the world is more expansive, endless, and possibilities are limitless. When we have our blinders on and go through the day to day drudgery, it feels heavy, obligatory, and we are just going through to motions.
Even those of us who are blessed to live in the mountains can forget the beauty of them if the workout becomes more important. "I have to get X miles in today. I have to get X time. I need to do better, go faster..."
Things to do this month to connect with playing:
1. If you have a child on hand, just play with them. Allow them to guide you into their world and let loose. Let go of the to do lists and just have fun with them.
If you don't have a child on hand, go to your nearest playground and go play! Swing, climb, jump!
2. Slow down for a moment. Go to your yard or a park and lay down. First on your back and gaze up at the sky and let your imagination go. Then on your stomach and notice the small word living in the grass below.
3. Sign up for a fun run and dress up crazy. Do anything and dress up crazy! Like mini-golf, a bike ride, a hike..
4. Do something new. Something that looks fun, that you've never tried and go for it.
5. Get into your creative juices. Crafting, being artistic, a new instrument, and get messy with it. Make up your own song!
Remember, yoga goes beyond getting on a mat for a period of time. It is about transforming what we think is real or right and allowing ourselves to explore and experience. Play, fun and enjoyment are essential elements
.
"Don't take your practice seriously, take it sincerely." - Prasad Rangnekar
Yoga is about becoming aware of patterns in the body, mind and spirit that are no longer serving us and moving more towards the truth that we are all love, freedom and bliss. Yet, when in a yoga class or home practice, the tendency is to take things a little too seriously. You fall out of a pose, so what? Will the world stop turning? No! Have fun with it! Laugh, smile, do weird things with your body...do a pose "wrong." I make sure when I'm teaching and having students go into Utkatasana, chair pose, to remind them to turn the sides of their mouths up and smile because we are having fun! (Usually they are moving from a very serious look on their faces).
If you have a child, work with children, or have a grandchild, then you are blessed with the reminder to play and have fun, that the world is a place for us to explore and learn about, and that being silly and laughing makes the heart and mind lighter. When we remember to enjoy what we are doing and that we are blessed for what we have, the world is more expansive, endless, and possibilities are limitless. When we have our blinders on and go through the day to day drudgery, it feels heavy, obligatory, and we are just going through to motions.Even those of us who are blessed to live in the mountains can forget the beauty of them if the workout becomes more important. "I have to get X miles in today. I have to get X time. I need to do better, go faster..."
Things to do this month to connect with playing:
1. If you have a child on hand, just play with them. Allow them to guide you into their world and let loose. Let go of the to do lists and just have fun with them.
If you don't have a child on hand, go to your nearest playground and go play! Swing, climb, jump!
2. Slow down for a moment. Go to your yard or a park and lay down. First on your back and gaze up at the sky and let your imagination go. Then on your stomach and notice the small word living in the grass below.
3. Sign up for a fun run and dress up crazy. Do anything and dress up crazy! Like mini-golf, a bike ride, a hike..
5. Get into your creative juices. Crafting, being artistic, a new instrument, and get messy with it. Make up your own song!
Remember, yoga goes beyond getting on a mat for a period of time. It is about transforming what we think is real or right and allowing ourselves to explore and experience. Play, fun and enjoyment are essential elements
.
"Don't take your practice seriously, take it sincerely." - Prasad Rangnekar
