I have a confession to make…
…for the past month my life had been so consumed with moving, trying to get settled, refinishing a bathroom in the process, and going on vacation, that both my practice and my business have taken a back seat. I didn’t stop practicing through all the transition, but I certainly didn’t feel as though I was giving 100% effort. And I did not put the time into growing or building my business as I usually do.
I did my best to make sure I practiced because I know how it impacts the person that I give to everyone I serve in my life—husband, child, students, family, etc.—but the effort I put forth into my own practice and studio wasn’t really on target with the expectations I have for myself. It’s as if I was simply going through the motions to stay afloat so that I could get to a point where I was satisfied with how much I had unpacked at our new house, the progress made on the bathroom, and getting through vacation. But yesterday I got back on the horse and went to Guided Self-Practice at the Adamantine® Yoga home studio in Des Moines.
It felt so refreshing to recommit to beginning a regular schedule once again.
But I couldn’t do it on my own, I needed help from others. My sister spent an entire day helping me with housework, unpacking and finishing up the bathroom, which was a tremendous blessing. It definitely brought a little peace to my heart and mind, and it also allowed me to give myself permission to leave town for a few hours to connect with myself, my mentor/teacher, and the practice that helps me find serenity and strength every day.
Practicing at a studio or working out at a gym always seems to push you to, in a way, “perform.” It’s a performance for the teacher or trainer in which you want to do your best no matter how you’re feeling.
When I was practicing at home or on my own over the past month, I had far too often given myself the permission to not practice heroically, or like I was performing for my life story. I’m not saying that letting your guard down every once in a while is a bad thing. I think this comes with listening to your body and knowing your “edge” or limit each day, which sometimes can mean that you are more nurturing in your movements. But this was becoming too much of a habit for me, and I wasn’t necessarily finding my edge when I practiced. So I wasn’t pushing myself hard enough to actually make a difference in the way I was feeling, but rather stagnating or even regressing.
And now after returning from vacation, I sense this same inner struggle with so many of my students. While I was gone some students continued to practice at home and realized this same thing that I was experiencing and have returned to the studio perhaps with a renewed outlook. Others may have just taken the week off, but are now struggling to return to any form of practice.
I’m here to say, I know what it’s like.
There’s nothing to feel bad about if you are one of those individuals who wrestle with getting back into a routine when you take a break for whatever reason. Because we are all human & have commitments that call our attention elsewhere at times, we ALL battle or have battled this at various stages throughout our lives, no matter how self-motivated you are.
You are not alone.
And sometimes it takes asking for some help to get over that hump and get back to a routine of practicing or even working out so that you can live as the highest ideal of yourself and not simply hope for that person to show up. Yes, it’s going to be hard at first, just as all things are that are either new or different, and it’s going to take discipline.
Yes, DISCIPLINE. That word that means “order and control” or “conscious control over lifestyle” as stated according to the Encarta Dictionary.
But guess what…
Whoever is waiting for you back at that studio or gym is going to welcome you with open arms and be ready and willing to help you discover your potential, because they care and genuinely want to see you be successful.
I know this is how I am with my students; I want to help inspire them to find what makes their heart sing each day so that they can do just that.