I think I'm approaching yoga in the wrong way.
That sentence alone means I'm approaching it the wrong way. Paradox?
What I mean is, I am struggling with yoga. Too often I unroll my mat as a means to an end, instead of a journey. I fight with my body as I contort myself more than I should (and sometimes less than I should). I want to be like those graceful figures that show up in my newsfeed, effortlessly twisting their tan bodies into camel pose. Sometimes yoga feels like a competition, and I'm in last place.
I fight with my mind as I try to push these negative feelings away. I fight to find the joy and pleasure in doing something that is not easy. I fight to appreciate my efforts.
Because I fight, I lose.
Yoga is not a fight. It is a journey. It is not about reaching a benchmark or completing a level. It is about finding peace in focus, strength in discomfort, and quiet in struggle. It is taking something that is hard and accepting that it is hard. But pushing myself just a little bit more anyway. It's about letting go of the world and just being me, in my body, and in my mind.
Part of that journey, for me, is giving up that fight without giving up on myself. I am struggling, but I am not done.
Are you struggling with yoga, too? What works for you? What doesn't?
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