It’s been almost four weeks since I graduated from college and moved back to Connecticut, where I’ll be for a few months before I move to NYC. Unlike my apartment in North Carolina, I’m no longer a minute from a yoga studio. I knew that keeping up with my yoga practice would be important for me as I study for my CPA, so I’ve made it a priority to practice daily. Since I’ve started a consistent home practice, I’ve found that I have a lot more days that “I’m just not feeling it.”
The first week home felt strong. I practiced the full primary series for four days straight and worked in some restorative practice as well. As a few weeks went by, I started to realize how hard it would be to practice without the teachers I’ve grown to love and without the guidance that they provided. Practicing at a studio always gave me a sense of reward and accomplishment. As you roll up your mat with everyone else in the room, it’s easy to feel like you’ve done something productive. When you’re alone and no one witnesses what you’ve done, it doesn’t always feel that way.
For the past few days, I’ve felt uninspired and unmotivated. It may be that it’s rainy and cold (not the summer I was hoping for), or it may be that studying accounting five hours a day isn’t the most fun. But, it’s these days that I find are most important to practice and get on my mat. The sense of pride and accomplishment is so much greater when you thought you couldn’t do it. I’ve found that not every practice has to be physically groundbreaking. The days that are spent moving slower and focusing on the mind are often the most essential. Being able to find the willingness to practice on these difficult days will help us do the same when other aspects of life seem just as hard.
♥ Leah
Of course, the purpose of yoga is different for everyone, but there seems to be a common trend: stillness, peace, happiness, and strength. On our mats, we can find stillness in the poses, peace in the heart, happiness in the mind, and strength in the breath. With that, I’ve found that everything that I do on my mat is like a “test run” for life outside the studio.
