Day Thirteen: Yoga, Breath and Favourites

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What’s your thing?

For years mine has been yoga and I’d like to think that after nearly a decade of practice I’ve become decent at maneuvering through the flows and poses with relative ease and competency but in yoga everyone has room for improvement.

I first started going to classes held at a local school one evening a week with my Grandma, but my boss at the time had a young daughter that wanted to come along and out of obligation and niceness we agreed to bring her. Her lack of maturity diminished our experience after a couple times and we stopped going just so we didn’t have to lie about why we couldn’t bring her and I didn’t know how to present the ugly truth to my boss. Subsequently we gave up something we enjoyed in order to not appear rude, but in the process I lost out on years of practice.

That’s what makes yoga so great. No matter how advanced you get in your movements, there is always more that can be done to take your practice to another level.

I was meant to go to yoga tonight in fact but instead came home to write this blog and get to bed early because by the time you get this message I’ll have been to a 6am yoga class and am ready to commit to a more rigorous and consistent practice.

I’ve practiced in many instructors’ classes over the years and have invariably found my favourites.

The teachers that push me to my limits while also offering modifications to accommodate everyone operating at a different level within the same class remind me of the kind of teacher I desire and intend to be.

Yoga is hands on, practical, strengthening, uses self-resistance as a tool, and varies every time you submit to your mat and commit to your daily practice.

Whatever you want in life, I highly encourage you to sample yoga instructors in your area until you find one(s) that provide a consistently enjoyable and challenging experience and then commit to your mat, commit to your practice, and commit to yourself.

Yoga can teach you a lot about yourself and tomorrow morning when I hit my mat at Movati first thing, I look forward to what I hold the potential to learn about myself, my body, and an ancient art form I hope you love as much as I do.

While I hope you’ll make it to your mat, with your favourite teacher today too, I hope you will breathe deeply and with intention for a series of moments today that will help you steal your day back and rejuvenate you to receive it gladly regardless.

Whether it’s yoga or not, I wish you a form of movement you enjoy because if you don’t use it you’ll lose it, and none of us can afford the loss of our mobility if we can help it.

Much love,

Laura JE Hamilton

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