"When I pause to consider all of the gifts yoga has given me, the most important one that comes to mind is the ability to do a handstand. I kid!"
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Our good friend Ellie @elliebernstein has dropped by with her inimitable wit & wisdom to cast some light amongst our #yogasavedmylife stories ❤
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"I've learned many lessons from yoga, but in all seriousness, the ability to take everything a bit less seriously is the most impactful. This practice has the capacity to be so extraordinarily powerful & deeply transformative, that it can get a bit heavy at times
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It doesn’t happen by magic or shamanic, mystical teachers, but at some point in one’s yoga practice, it catches you off guard. Maybe it’s the first time you cry in pigeon, or when you realize your yoga studio has become your respite, or perhaps when you realize you’re unaffected by the jerk who just cut you off in traffic
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After years of practice & teaching & deep self exploratory work, I began to feel heavy & overwhelmed. When I finally made the connection that yoga is a mirror, a tool for self awareness, I realized that the onus is on me to take the reins of my own life & destiny. When you make that realization, like, fully understand it, it’s A LOT
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So I got mad at yoga. My practice was all, “you mad, bro?” I was like PSSHHYEAH. I thought I wanted to be in control of my own life, but - don’t tell anyone I told you this - I'm scared
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But the trusty bestie that it is, my yoga practice scooped me up & supported me through this mini life crisis (aka: growing the fuck up); it held my hand & said, “lightly, my child" .
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Life is hard. Life has struggle. Life can be painful. It can be fun, joyous, & oh so wonderful. We must strike a balance
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The greatest gift yoga has provided me with is the ability to appreciate it all with a sense of lightness. Everything shifts; changes; the bad melts into good, the good falls apart over time, the cycle renews. Grasping on to any of it with too tight a grip is a surefire way to feel strain & stress. Lightly, my friends. Lightly ❤