yoga is a skill in action

Over the past three months I have used yoga off the mat way more than I have been on my mat!

Pausing in my car to take a few big breaths before having a meeting at the real estate agents about my landlord

Letting myself really ugly cry about all the parts of my life that have seemed unfair, then slowing my exhales till I felt calm again.

Noticing I’m exhausted and swapping my gym session to a legs up the wall session and not making it mean I am lazy.

Leaving a friendship because it had run its course and I could recognise that I was no longer being seen in it in a way that I needed.

Writing down things I am grateful for a couple of times a week

Smelling my coffee before gulping it down like normal!

Pausing to listen to the sounds of the rain.

Now I know what you are thinking- there is not a down dog in sight! And there hasn’t been for a while because I have not had any energy for the physical practise in its entirety. But that does not mean that I have not been doing yoga!

You see, yoga is as much down dog as it is that breath you take before a challenging situation. In that moment, I am using skills shared with me by an amazing teacher and taking them off the mat and putting those skills into action.

That is as much yoga as any asana.  

We are doing so much more than stretching in a yoga class, we are learning life skills.

Every breathwork, every mediation technique, every sutra shared, all go into your tool box of life so that when you are challenged, you are resourced.

Yoga- more life skills than hamstring stretch!