Yoga is not a competitive sport. You may be thinking, “no duh, Morgan.” But that doesn’t mean ego doesn’t make it’s way into the yoga studio. In yoga, we focus on letting go of our ego, but we are only human. Yoga is a personal practice, but I would be a big ole fibber if I didn’t admit that competitive energy can sneak it’s way into the yoga studio.
Sometimes it’s hard not to look at others during a yoga class. There may be what appears to be an all-star yogi in your class (someone who has an advanced physical practice). You may be feeling pretty strong in your practice and then you see them bend, twist and hop in ways completely foreign to you, and you think “oh.” Suddenly you may feel “less than.” You don’t feel as strong or as flexible as you did before you glanced over at them, and it can be discouraging. (More on why, you don’t need to be flexible to do yoga here). It’s kind of like when you’re in elementary school and everyone is making the same art project, and you think yours is pretty good until you see the uber talented girl’s project across the room, and all of the sudden you want to hide yours.
Except unlike in elementary school, we are all making different art in yoga. What I’m working through is completely different that what you are working through. I may be focused on releasing anxiety and stuck tension. The person next to me might be there because they’re a runner who needs to stretch. Another person might be focused on strengthening their handstand practice. We all go to class with such different intentions, each bringing our emotional and physical baggage with us, so it’s no wonder each of our practices look so different. No two practices are meant to be alike.
We must also remind ourselves that our own practice is different every. single. day. Today I may feel high energy, my body may feel open and I practice my deepest variation of each pose, feeling strong and steady. Tomorrow, my practice could look vastly different. I may have slept uncomfortably and woke up feeling stiff, and then had a stressful day, so my energy isn’t feeling great. I may modify my poses, move more gently with my body and probably struggle through poses that typically aren’t challenging. THIS IS NORMAL. Just because I held headstand for one minute yesterday doesn’t mean that I suck because I can barely hold tree pose today. Our practice reflects how we feel emotionally and physically, so it is natural that it ebbs and flows.
Instead of getting down on ourselves for feeling weaker or having a hard time staying present in our practice, we need to recognize how we feel and then let it go. Don’t spend your yoga class making yourself feel bad. You are not there to bend your body into pretzel shapes with ease; you are there to take time for yourself to decompress and unplug from the outside world. No matter the distraction of those around us or the distractions in our minds, we must remember the real reason why we show up on our mat. Give yourself grace. Take the modifications your body needs, skip the chatarungas, spend a few extra moments in child’s pose — it is called a practice for a reason.
Each time we show up, we must try our hardest to leave our egos at the door. Your ego will not serve your practice. As the thoughts of your mind rise, notice them, and then let them drift away. “Comparison is the thief of joy,” remember that when you compare yourself to the person next to you or to what you did yesterday. Today is different, you are constantly becoming and evolving.
Sending love.
x,
Morgan