How I Found My Flow in Yoga.
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By Trisha Lee
“All things have their time of birth, growth, fullness, and transformation. Fear of life’s cycles can lead to depression and escapist behavior. Be aware of your own cycles and learn to recognize what causes you to react unconsciously.”
~ Monte Farber
The first time I tried Yoga, I was completely unsold. I could barely hold my Downward Dog, and wanted to collapse on the floor into fetal position.
I was extremely uncomfortable trying to get into postures, and figuring out postures, stumbling around as I looked for visual guidance from the instructor and the participants.
My lack of flexibility at the time made me feel like an instant failure. But, I made it through. My first Yoga class complete, and I swore I’d never go back. It wasn’t for me and my body.
My resistance to practicing Yoga started to get to me after awhile. Everybody was practicing Yoga; why couldn’t I like it? Why was I escaping this beautiful, therapeutic, healing, ancient form of exercise for body and mind? I started to realize that I was unconsciously reacting out of fear.
I didn’t want to do Yoga because I felt like I wasn’t good at it. How anti-yoga of me.
“Choose love over fear.” ~ Gabrielle Berstein
I wasn’t going to give up this easily. I knew there were other types of Yoga out there that I may possibly like. If not, at least this form of exercise challenged me like no other thing did. I could run miles, but doing Yoga for an hour seemed like a heroic event.
Then I found Vinyasa. Vinyasa Yoga, according to Gregor Maehle, is “sequential movement that interlinks postures to form a continuous flow. It creates a movement meditation that reveals all forms as being impermanent and for this reason are not held on to.”
Discovering this was like a birth of a life-long love affair with Yoga, on and off the mat.
I grew to love the sequencing, the flow from one posture to the next, the flow of energy, the emphasis on breath and movement, the focus on transitions with grace. It didn’t matter if I couldn’t hold crescent lunge very long.
I just had to be present, and in a few moments, we’d be doing another posture, and that served as some sort of peace of mind. We’d always be moving forward, and there was the guarantee of change.
At the end of each class, I felt like I just completed some beautiful artistic expression of dance, that nurtured my body and soul. I made it through all the postures the best I could, I survived all the changes and transitions, and I even got lost in the process.
I found my zone. When we are in tune with the moment, and fully immersed consciously, we are in what psychologists refer to as a state of flow. Vinyasa Yoga serves as a sanctuary for me. When I come to my mat, I lose myself in the moment, and tap into a blissful state of total engagement.
I am completely involved with my body, I sweat out all my emotions, and release to what I’m capable of. I surrender to the journey, the flow, and I am always changed for the better after class.
I struggle bringing this into life, off the mat. The idea of going with the flow, and cultivating non-resistance to change. This is not easy for me, but I am aware of that and commit myself to growing.
Having this awareness will continue to help me transform, as I go through challenges, life’s ups and downs.
Everything will change — sometimes for the better, sometimes worse, we never know. But we can easily move through these changes and navigate, only if we surrender and trust that we will be guided through.
*****
Trisha Lee is a Yoga instructor, academic and life coach for college students, mindfulness and meditation advocate, personal development maximizer, aspiring writer, and believer in impacting individuals to become their best authentic self. You could contact her via her website, Facebook or email.
{Find Your Zone}
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