Yoga at Home: Don't Get Bent Out of Shape if You Can't Bend into Shape!

My daughter, Francesca, and her two college classmates laughing up a storm!

What does the above photo have to do with practicing yoga at home for beginners?  Well, actually more than you might imagine!  We all need more laughter in our lives.  

One of my top role models for how to live fully, joyfully, and with lots of laughter and humor is the 90-year old actress, Betty White. I love that woman!  She has a sharp wit, alert mind, and youthful outlook. I think she is doing so well at the beginning of her ninth decade because she takes a lighthearted approach to everything. She goes with the flow, stays current or "hip" we might say, and she manages to easily poke fun at the common life experiences and events. 

More of us should take a lighthearted approach is vital for gaining maximum benefit from yoga. Some people don't transfer the practice of the spirit of yoga into their daily lives or keep things light. Recently, a neighbor told me about a past boyfriend who was really into yoga. But, in my view, he seems to have missed a big point of his practice! He had a short fuse and would fly into rages prompting her to exit the relationship.

Other yogis get too intense and serious about how they do their yoga poses. Sometimes when you first learn a yoga pose, you can feel frustrated and inept.  But, really, you must laugh it off! I wish I had done that years ago when I took a modern dance class my freshman year of college!

This weekend, I attended a wonderful college reunion and my classmates and I shared what had been going on in our lives over the past five years.  When my turn came, along with discussing the past five years, I shared my discouragement after attending my first (and only) modern dance classs. I asked the dance instructor for guidance after the first class because I had stumbled about. I was uncoordinated and klutzy. She responded by asking me, "have you every done ANY type of exercise?!!!" All my classmates roared when I retold her remark!  It wasn't funny to me, however, at the time and I dropped the class.  I felt like a failure.

But, in hindsight, it was ridiculous. I should have laughted off that teacher's statement  After all, I had been exercising - jogging and doing yoga.  I just had not been practicing modern dance.  It was new to me.  If the instructor had taken a lighthearted, helpful approach, I would have stayed in the class and might have enjoyed learning modern dance.

Learn from my negative experience. Practice yoga with joy and laughter. Recently, a number of yoga teachers have been incorporating "laughter yoga," i.e., the practice of deep belly laughing,into their classes to add levity and variety to the class. Life is too precious to get bent out of shape when you can't quite "bend into shape" when you first learn certain yoga poses. Laugh it off and try again the following day!

Yours for giving your yoga practice the "light" touch,

Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the beginners' yoga coach

 

Comments

[Laura Rodriguez]

Yes - thanks for your comment!

[Cheap chunky beads]

I love doing yoga at home. So refreshing and relaxing.

[chaussure de football pas cher f50]

Recentment, un veí em va parlar d'un nuvi passat que estava realment en el ioga. Però, al meu entendre, sembla haver passat per alt un punt important de la seva pràctica! Tenia una metxa curta i volaria en ràbies la va obligar a sortir de la relació.

[Youth Nike Baltimore Ravens Customized Elite Purple Team Color J]

Més de nosaltres hauríem d'adoptar un enfocament alegre és vital per obtenir el màxim benefici de ioga.

[abercrombie fitch madrid]

Més de nosaltres hauríem d'adoptar un enfocament alegre és vital per obtenir el màxim benefici de ioga. Algunes persones no es transfereixen a la pràctica de l'esperit del ioga en la seva vida quotidiana o de mantenir les coses lleugeres. Recentment, un veí em va parlar d'un nuvi passat que estava realment en el ioga. Però, al meu entendre, sembla haver passat per alt un punt important de la seva pràctica! Tenia una metxa curta i volaria en ràbies la va obligar a sortir de la relació.