Come As You Are…
What happens when you’re sitting on your yoga mat at the beginning of practice and your instructor tells you: “come as you are” or “stay with what’s present”. In your mind you might wonder if she had gone mad right? Are you not supposed to forget about reality and chase your problems from your mind?
The true healing power of yoga lies in coming to our mat and allowing ourselves to be who we truly are deep down, to take off the masks that we feel we need to wear in society and bare our souls, glorious in our simplicity.
I tell my students: “Think of your yoga practice as a moving meditation; of the stillness of the poses as holding the internal dance of emotions and awareness.”
By connecting so deeply within, our minds start healing and our lives start changing. The process can be difficult, but it is so rewarding —and with caring guidance, it’s a beautiful journey that’s worth every moment of sadness.
I want to share a piece of my own journey with you:
As far back as I can remember, I never wanted to talk about my past; it was too painful, I was busy, and had to be strong for my family —there was no time to cry or be sad…
If I had a penny for every time I felt empty and disconnected… but back then all I knew was that emotions make me weak and that I have to bury them deep deep inside.
When I was getting certified to teach Yoga, my teachers started telling me that everything changes, nothing stays the same and that I have to learn to accept it and embrace it…I panicked: No! There can’t be change! I want things exactly the way they are forever! Then they said that it’s important to get “in touch with my emotions”… what?! I don’t have time for that! What if I lost control, what if I let myself “FEEL”?!… The walls of my carefully raised tower crumbled around me. I was torn between my fascination with the infinite possibilities I had, and my desire to stay in my cocoon very up high in this tower where nothing could hurt me ever again…
I will never regret the choice I made…