I’ve wanted to start yoga for a really long time now, so with the support of a friend, I signed up for an unlimited month to see how I liked it. At first, it was intimidating, and I still find it incredibly challenging, both physically and mentally. I’m in no way proficient in the practice, but I continued and will continue because it’s proven such a great experience for me. Not only do I feel productive because I’m doing something actively good for my body a few times a week, but I also found it so surprisingly therapeutic. If you can, which I acknowledge not everyone has the resources to, I encourage you to try it out for yourself. For now, though, I’ll tell you what I’ve learned as a beginner:
- Learn to be soft with yourself.
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Instead of beating ourselves up about still thinking of that relationship, still having those dreams, still ruminating on the past, try to imagine how amazing it is that we carry so much with us. We’re human. We remember. Sometimes people come through our lives and never really leave. And that’s okay. (Fun fact about this one—how the instructor described it resonated with me so much that I cried at the end of the class. Super embarrassing, but it also shows how profound this mindset can be.)
- Be present.
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Although it’s likely we’ve all heard this one before, I think it holds immense power. To be in the moment rather than thinking about what could’ve happened in the past, whether it’s a few minutes ago or years ago, can be so helpful for your mental health and stability. I know I’m constantly analyzing my past, whether it’s with nostalgia or regret, so I really hope I can start implementing this idea into my life. What really matters is being here and moving forward. There will never be another moment like the one you’re living right now, and it will never happen again.
- Listen to your body.
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From what I’ve learned, so much of yoga is about turning inward, focusing on our breathing and our bodies as the only vessels we’ll ever have to carry us through life. It’s not the shape of our bodies that matters, but the ability within them.
- Take time to be grateful.
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I’m sure if the vast majority of people were asked if they were grateful, they’d say, “of course!” But really stopping to think about everything and everyone that we’re grateful for in our lives is something many of us rarely do. One class I took focused on this idea, and I realized that I hadn’t taken time to list the things I was grateful for, nor had I thought about how lucky I was in a long time. I think we can get caught up in all the problems going on in our lives, especially now when it’s easy to find bad in this time of chaos and uncertainty, that we don’t pick out the good things. This practice of thankfulness has the potential to become part of our natural mindset and could end up really shining through in our actions if we do it consciously enough.
- Pay attention to the world.
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This may seem obvious, but just like how we are disconnected from our bodies, we are separated from nature. Physically, of course, we often are, as we hole up in our homes and spend time peering at the world through our phones. To realize just how amazing it all is, although I know that sounds cheesy, can be an incredible experience. We must learn to find profundity in the ordinary, to find beauty in all the everyday things that surround us: the sky, the trees, how nature goes on and on in all its flawed perfection.