Let go of your practice or, what I learned from community yoga.

The Landscape is Changing by henrikj

I ran into a beautiful friend of mine during finals week. He told me about a community yoga class that happens every Wednesday and he hoped to see me there sometime. I was thrilled because 1) I could actually afford a community yoga class, and 2) I was going with a friend- I do not get many opportunities to share my yoga practice with a friend.  

Anyway, after rushing around completing errands, I nervously went to class (yoga classes always make me nervous… more on that another day) anxiously waiting for my friend’s arrival. He came with a friend of his, and exchanged a few words, and soon after class began.

The class flowed easily. I experienced a nice, and nourishing, practice. I went deeper when my body allowed me, and eased off when I needed to. I was proud of myself because I listened to my body- that’s kind of hard when we have constant chatter going on in our heads about the people around us, if we look like them, blah, blah, idle thoughts.

As our instructor led us into savasana, she said something that was big for me. Something that actually isn’t anything super surprising or insightful, but her words encouraged me to *try * to live this great reminder.

She said,“Let go of your practice.”

She said it’s done. Whatever we did, whatever we accomplished, whatever we struggled through, let it go. It’s done. It’s time to relax. No one has ever said that before in any class that I’ve taken. To just let go of your practice. To realize that it doesn’t exist anymore. To completely understand that those moments cannot be replicated, they are done.

We all struggle with releasing like this, however, release gives us the oh so necessary tool for any sort of growth- be it in yoga or any other aspects of our gorgeous lives.

What if we did something like this at the end of the day? As we lay our heads down in our beds, preparing to give our bodies the rest it very much deserves, we take in a deep breath, and we let go of the day. We realize it is done. Whatever happened, whatever bullshit moved in our path, all the amazingness of the day, it’s gone. Make way for new opportunities to show up tomorrow. Allow new experiences to happen in this moment. Allow new experiences to happen in this breath.

In that space of unknowingness, we make room for whatever may happen, and we let it go. We can begin to understand that each moment must be seen at face value, not the moment we desire. We can begin to release expectations and realize that life unfolds the way it wants to- and surrendering bears a tastier fruit to nourish our lives.