Yoga Lag

Far too many of us suffer from it. But how many...exactly...give in?

I guarantee its happened to you before...you know you'll feel better if you go to class, so what is with the fight?

Sometimes its the weather (especially now when its so cold), sometimes its our personal lives (let's face it there is something else we can always find to do); the "Yeah but I could be _________ (fill in the blank)" type of thinking.

I know what's it all about. I used to suffer from yoga lag too. Far too often during my first year of teaching did I not want to go to class. I didn't want to deal with slowing down, breathing or even moving off the couch. But I always made myself and you know what I always felt better off for it.

The same thing happens with my personal practice, even now. Yoga will have an ebb and flow in your life; some years will be better than others.

Sometimes the best yoga I can do is to stop and be happy now.

So if you are having one of those days when going to class is the last thing you want to do, don't be hard on yourself. It happens to all of us. Make a decision and stand behind it (preferably in Tadasana).

PS. When you feel the yoga lag oncoming use it as a chance to delve deeper inside of yourself....what is the real issue? What is really stopping you from going? Why do you not want to go to class? You see where I'm going with this. It's another chance to check in and see where you are at today. Just like each posture, you'll find different reasons behind it & different layers will always come up

There are lessons everywhere

Yesterday I cleared the front lawn and drive of most of the leaves. While I was working away a baby squirrel scampered under my car.

It was hurt.
Probably hit by a car.

Poor little soul. It was alive but dragging its back end along the ground. It's beside the garage now. I'm afraid it didn't last the night.

I shared this experience over the phone with my MIL.

She said, "Don't even talk to me about squirrels. We are ready to ring all of their necks!"

I thought she'd have a little more 'feeling' for the poor little squirrel at our house. She continued, "We planted over 100 bulbs in the front yard. And the darn things pulled them all out! Now we have holes all over the grass from them digging around."

Now I knew why.

This morning I revisited the conversation again in my mind and realized something....squirrels, in the medicine cards, stand for gathering.

I realized quickly the message: they need to ask themselves what are they gathering? Or what are they buring and not dealing with?

As I analyzed their situation I realized the message was also for me.

I need to be mindful of what it is I'm dragging behind me. What is it I need to let go of? What am I gathering that is no longer useful for me; the dead weight?