This is why I don't think yoga at a studio will ever work for me (at least my own practice). I would love to teach of course and share my love for the art one day, but my own practice is solely my own and can't be done in a class setting. I think I always knew this, even before I took my first studio class back in September. It felt like I was back in dance class (my long 13 year career of competitive dancing). The setting was something I "knew", but it gave me that same vibe. That vibe of competitiveness and wanting to "show-off". Not very yoga-like. This was an easier level class too (the only would I could find) so I had it in my head right off the bat that I would be too advanced.
I modified and practiced harder poses and always took the deeper variation. But I left feeling so unfulfilled. I focused too much on showing off my skill and lost that part of the practice I love. The feeling and true release. I knew then, that I would not be back. I would be back, however, to my own perfectly crafted home practice.
Thus, I've come to the conclusion that my yoga is not your yoga. Nor is your yoga her yoga or his yoga. Each yogi is different. (Yes, if you practice yoga, even once a week, you are a yogi). Yoga is such an individual practice. Just like each and every human on this earth is different, each and every practice is different, and that's the way it should be.
My yoga is pretty clearly defined to me now. After 4 years of practice I have found what exactly I like, while I still grow with it each time my toes sink into the soft yellow foam of my mat. My yoga is not your yoga. My yoga is:
...a revitalizing flow
...a moment of safety and security
...a home away from home
...a flow of strong movements and power
...a relentless journey of mind body connection
...a build up and then release of stress and emotion
...an invigorating intensity in the muscles, joints, and bones
...a feeling of confidence and engagement with the present moment
...a moment of care-free selfishness and self-love
...a time to challenge balance and stability within the body
...a grounding physical art form that forces me to leave it all on the mat.
My yoga is not your yoga. My yoga is a personal practice that needs to be done alone. It is my discipline and workout, my escape, my dedication, breath. It is my connection to the beauty and wonder of the EarthΒ and the bodies that occupy its space.
My yoga is not your yoga.
So tell me:
+ What is your yoga?
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Christy @ Feasting Not Fasting
I love this! I've had an on/off again love affair with yoga and you summed it all up so perfectly. Yoga can be so healing and rewarding if you can shed the competitiveness and ditch the need to feel perfect. I'm just starting to get back into it after a year away and approaching with a new self-focused attitude is making all the difference.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes! Once we find what exactly we need in that moment of our lives and can manifest a practice to go along with that, it all becomes clear and so beneficial! Let me know where you're journey takes you my dear friend!
Amanda @ Diary of a Semi-Health Nut
This is such a beautiful post, lady! I agree that yoga (and most things in life) is (are) much better when we don't pay attention to what others are thinking! I've been doing a little yoga every day and I love how it makes me feel. π
Thanks for linking to Inspire Me Monday and I'm featuring this post on next week's link-up as one of my favs! <3 <3
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
O, I am so glad you are doing yoga! You will continue to grow, find YOURS, and love it! XOXOXOXO
Sherry
Pinned to the Funtastic Friday board. Thanks for sharing with us at the Funtastic Friday blog hop. Hope to see you again this week.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you!
Gaye @CalmHealthySexy
Hi Rebecca - Thanks for sharing this with the Let's Get Real party. I am pinning it to our group board on Pinterest.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Gaye!
kimmythevegan
I have tried yoga so many times, but it just isn't for me. The one time I enjoyed it was at community class for all levels. It was the one time I felt I could relax and release. Haven't been able to since, I'm too focused on trying to not look bad while doing it (I kind of suck at yoga). Maybe I should try practicing on my own. I find the poses very difficult and I'm definitely one of those people who likes instant results and become good at something quickly ;p
I'm glad that you have found something that gives you such peace =)
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
There are so many great easy beginner classes online! Even f just 15 minutes twice a week before bed....do it!
Ashley Tukiainen
I'm yoga instructor and fellow dancer π (Bellydance)
That's so wonderful that you've kept up your practice without a studio and followed your intuition. That IS a major aspect of yoga. A lot of people have a hard time not feeling competitive in class, you are not alone in that.
However, if you want to teach, then you should teach! Teaching would not mean giving up your practice and journey. In my experience it actually enhances it, because there is now a personal platform to inspire and encourage π Just something to think about
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I never said I didn't want to teach, haha! That is still one of my goals once I'm out of school!
Ashley Tukiainen
lol, sorry. Misread that "but" in that sentence
Angie
I need to get back to it. We moved way out of town and I don't make the time to travel in for class. Need to find a dvd that's a good fit for me. Thanks for sharing!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Just go online! There are much better free classes online!
Cassi
My yoga definitely isn't anyone else's. I'm uncoordinated, unbalanced, and not present.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I am sure your practice is growing and IS beautiful!
Renee @ Bendiful Blog
Totally agree, there are things I can't do in a yoga class that I can do at home on my own.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It is such a totally different experience!
Channing
I tried yoga before, but was really bad at it lol
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It takes practice and dedication!
Georgie
This is a really interesting perspective. Personally I'm not knowledgable enough to have my own practice and I'd need more education and guidance to build one, but I love the appeal of focusing inward and really owning your own yoga
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I still use my favorite instructors online as part of my practice. I don't do my own thing completely. I just get MORE out of being in my own space so I don't have to have that feeling of "I want to show-off".
Linda @ Veganosity
You're absolutely right! Your yoga is not my yoga, because I'd never get into those positions, and if I did, someone would have to get me out of them. π You rock girl!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Hahaha, o Linda π XOXO
Raewyn
I love the way you wrote this!! I feel as though I am the opposite of you because I am just beginning my yoga journey and crave the safety of a classroom. At home, I can't tell if I'm doing the moves right or if I'm going to hurt myself (maybe it's a lifetime of not working out or being in tune with what my body can handle). I always thought yoga wouldn't be for me because of a bad first experience as a teenager. But, I have since learned that clearing my mind is possible through yoga and I go to my classes to learn from the teachers to achieve meditation and confidence in my yoga. One day, I hope to practice at home.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I still learn and use my online instructors as part of my practice! I still want to be guided as well as be free.
That is great that you have taken the journey though! Keep it up and keep loving it!
rachel
Even though I don't practice yoga... I can relate to this post. Everyone is on their own journey... and needs to find and do what is best for them. π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes! Perfectly said!
Whitney @ French Fry Runner
What a wonderful post! I'm so happy that you have a practice that works for you. My yoga is fulfilling, strengthening, contemplative, calming, and invigorating. It helps me center myself and look inward. It is a spiritual experience for me, and I feel this way whether in class or at home. After spending years in competitive sports in my youth, yoga is the perfect opposite for me. It's all about my personal practice and no one else's. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I look forward to reading more of your posts! π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I love your yoga! Beautiful words! I definitely want my yoga to stay personal and away from others. The studio just doesn't seem to work for me!
Whitney @ French Fry Runner
The studio really isn't for everyone, and I'm glad that you can enjoy yoga in your own way and feel fulfilled in your personal practice. Thanks again for helping me contemplate what my yoga truly is. π p.s. I'm also sharing the the link to this post on my blog: http://wp.me/p2QJP4-qB.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Exactly! It's not and that is OKAY! People just don't realize that! They think they need to practice a certain way, but they don't!
(And thank you! I just saw π XOXO)
Kristen
Great points! I've only done yoga for real for like a month or so, but here's what I noticed with myself so far: at home I'm worried about doing things correctly and if poses look too hard I don't even try them out and I don't have enough space to fully relax and do yoga in peace, but if I go to a class in the studio I get some alone time outside the apartment where I can get guidance on how to do poses. It does cost more in studio and I do have to worry about being judged, but at this one studio I've been going to lately I don't feel that way at all. I think once I have a better idea of how to do poses safely I might be able to do yoga at home to save money. I also think it's interesting to note that I HATE running with other people and feel super judged and inferior whenever I do it, so I always run on my own. It's weird how I'm the opposite with yoga!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Exactly why no one's yoga is the same! Nor running, lifting, etc! That's what makes fitness so amazing and beautiful! We each thrive in a different type of environment!
Pam @ Hodge Podge Moments
Love this post. Yoga is something I want to try out more. I took a yoga class at the pole fitness studio I was a part of in Charleston and absolutely loved it. It combined yoga and pole and I found it very relaxing. I would love to get into doing a little bit of it out here now. π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That sounds pretty awesome!
Just do some online videos if you want to get back into it!
Pam @ Hodge Podge Moments
That's what's I was thinking of doing. π I've done one recently and want to start doing more...especially to help with stress release.
The Polga (pole + yoga) was pretty cool!
Farrah
Your yoga is like me + lifting. π I prefer to go it alone because I know what works for me and the lifts that I enjoy the most, and having someone else there kinda disturbs that. I'm still working on incorporating regular yoga into my life! :O
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I need to lift alone too! I used to love Group Power, but that had the same competativeness thing. I love being able to actually lift heavy and at my own pace more!
Carla
OOH YES!!
farrah is my twin.
Im solo solo too.
Farrah
Hi, twin! :D!
Ana Valentin
I completely agree with everything on this post! I feel it myself while doing kickboxing! I constantly want to be the best and receive praise. But when its me alone in my room doing my morning flows or my pilates workout... I'm only pushing myself and not myself plus the whole room. As always great post and insightfulness. You're truly one of my favorite internet people! Have a great day!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I do think it is good to experience the group setting and alone setting, but I know/love that one is going to be better suited to each individual!
Thank you so so much my dear friend π
Heather @ FITaspire
I have definitely fallen into that trap myself - I bet it's common with type a personalities. I have to close my eyes to reset often when i do go to the studio π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Mmm, even when we know we shouldn't judge..especially with the art of yoga!
Tara Newman
gosh, I loved this. So much self awareness. Competition seems to be everywhere these days and it is exhausting.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Right! That's why we may all need a different environment for the same things...like yoga!
Joy @ Joy Love Food
I love all yoga, ashtanga vinyasa is my favorite, which is the first style I learned, many years ago at Sonic Yoga in New York City. These days I don't get to practice as much as I used to, but I love it so much when I do, either on my own, with a friend or at a studio.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Once a yogi, always a yogi π Any practice is a good one!
Erica
You look amazing doing that pose! I dabbled in yoga some years back and it really helped ease my mind. But, running and turbo kick took over! I can't imagine my life with either. They both do so much in helping me stay balanced in body, mind, and spirit.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I need my yoga, but I also need my weights, running, Pilaties, and cycling!
Jen@jpabstfitness
I love this! I equate yoga to running- it's my therapy and I prefer both alone.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
They are so different though too!
Lora
YES! And my yoga is not your yoga! But the benefit of a class from a teacher in a studio is that maybe, just maybe, some part of my yoga can become part of YOUR yoga! π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Ah! I still get that from my virtual teachers! They have crafted this yogi!
Shauna Hartley-Lynn
I have used a yoga DVD from time to time, but since I am obese and have arthritis I know I'm not doing all the moved "properly". I want to find something that shows me how to do certain poses that have my body type in mind. I recently saw something for arthritis, and know if I lose weight I will be able to do more complex poses. I'm struggling to find my harmony I guess. I will keep trying though, and your post gave me the boost in hope I needed. Thank you!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Never get down on yourself! Keep looking and searching! There are so many great gentle resources out there!
AJ @ NutriFitMama
My yoga is yet to be found. I LOVE hot yoga- but haven't found a place I love out here where I'm at now. Not because there is anything wrong with the studios here- but because I haven't gotten out there to try a new one. I have it set in my mind that the old studio I went to before we moved was just *amazing* so I guess I don't want to be let down? Silly to avoid because of that reason, I know!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes! Keep searching! Or....you could buy and blast a few heaters at home and make your own hot studio π
Emma @ em-poweredwellness
Great thoughts, and I agree--yoga is different for every person because it is a personal practice. But as a yoga instructor, I think each teacher does bring some of their own-ness to their classes. So I get to teach and share my yoga, but how my students absorb and react to my teaching style/class is their yoga.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Ah! I like that! I get that from my online teachers. Depending on the day, I know which one I would rather follow and the energy I need from them!
Alyssa
I'm taking a yoga class at school to help me regain balance and strength in my foot after loosing it from surgery. It has been great for me to get in the habit and learn poses, but doing your own yoga definitely has it's advantages. Yesterday my knees were really sore and I felt like all the moves we did in class required more knee bending than I could do that day. Home practice allows you to really listen to your body and give it what it needs.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Exactly! I love that I can decide the path I want to take during that practice and if I want more of this or more of that!
Nina Reed
My yoga is losing myself in the midst of a class. It is sweating in a warm room, it is focusing on my own breath even as I hear the breaths of others around me. It is knowing that while there are others around me, they are paying no more attention to me than I am to them. It is following the voice of my teacher, letting my body move without me overthinking it, flowing through sequences without a care for what comes next.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Perfect! You know where your yoga is at π
Cynthia @ You Signed Up For WHAT?!
This is so interesting to think about - I haven't really thought much about it since I'm a novice at Yoga, but it's been great for me to incorporate more regularly. I love going to classes since it stretches my creativity - left to my own devices I just do the same few things and don't really dig deeper.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I always play a video as part of my own practice. I don't do all my own thing, but combine the two!
Krissie
My yoga is my prayer. My mat is my sanctuary. My movement is my worship.
As I have learned my body, I listen to what it needs. And I love the freedom of moving in a way that is up to me.
I do have a few teachers that I love and try to make a class monthly just so I don't have to think. So I can allow myself to just move.
But home practice is where it's at for me.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Beautiful! I combine my own practices with videos from my favorite instructors so I get both aspects each time!
Rebecca
Great post, Rebecca! Agreed, yoga is far more individualized than other practices & that's awesome that you have the room & determination to do it on your own (I dont! haha)
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
You can if you want it!
Miranda @ Miranda Writes Blog
My yoga is yin yoga. I love to take it slow and really get a deep, meditative stretch. I've tried hot yoga in the past and I loved the intense workout, but it's not something I could sustain.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I've never done hot yoga (obviously, no studio!), and I just can't do a slow yoga!
jess meddows
I had a lovely yoga teacher in Toronto called Leah, and I did Hatha and Yoga Ndri with her every Monday night - this was pretty much her most important message I got out of the class, how yoga is different for everyone. I have some weird quirks with my body after too many injuries and accidents, and not every teacher seems to understand this. So it's nice hearing it from you, too. π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I think it might be the most important lesson of yoga! Yoga can fit and be something for everyone, because it can be and should be so personalized and bring something and be something different for every one of us!
Tricia
What is my yoga? Humm I guess I'm still trying to figure that out. I've taken 2 classes which I think for me I needed and still need to guide me but I've also been practicing it at home daily for almost a week. (That IS something right there) I have researched and found an online daily video I like so far even adjusted my schedule to get up early enough to get my time in with my mat before work! I do compare myself too much to what others can do and I can't. I've got to get better about that. I don't know that if I did this for years I would still be able to do some of the poses but I don't think that is the point at all. I like that YOU found YOUR yoga and I will find mine! Thanks for sharing.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Of course! In the beginning, you have to try all different things, but once you find what just feels right and good for your mind and body, everything falls into place!
Natalie @ Feasting on Fruit
I love this message! It's funny because I've only been practicing yoga consistently for less than 2 years, but I feel like I've been doing it my whole life. My practice and my style of yoga have become such a part of me it feels so natural. Very much like home. Sometimes going to a class and learning a new style feels so foreign and awkward. I know it might help me grow as a yogi, but it sort of ruins the familiarity that I love so much about MY practice.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes! I feel the same way! I mean I do want to take some more classes one day (a retreat in Mexico, perhaps?), but I don't need that to be fulfilled in my practice. I feel "powerful" knowing that all I really need is me and my time!
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits
I can't agree with this post more. I always feel as if I'm comparing myself to the person next to me, when really, it should be about doing whatever it is to better myself. That's why I try to go to less busy classes so that I'm less likely to see what other people are doing!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Right! And at this point in my practice, I don't need a studio. I can learn from own growth and experience!
Tamara
I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who's found the yoga studio to be more competitive and 'judge-y' than I thought fitting. I've never been very flexible and always found the classroom setting to make me feel like I wasn't very good at yoga. Of course, this is silly, because yoga isn't about being good!
I love that there are some great, free online resources out there so those of us who prefer to 'yoga' in solitude at home can do so!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, well I AM that competitive "judge-y" person in the studio! That's why it doesn't fit me! I don't want to be that! I want to focus on furthering my own practice!
Kelly
I have been thinking about yoga for so long now. For me, a class is the way to go, until I understand form. I appreciate why you love "your yoga." Great post, Rebecca!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you Kelly!
Jen
I am so interested in yoga. I have taken a couple classes in the past, but I really didn't retain anything from them. I am recovering from surgery and getting stronger day by day. I've been told by my surgeon and PT that I will be able to do yoga once I make a full recovery and it's something I am really looking forward to doing! It will be interesting to see what "my yoga" is once I start that journey. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Jen
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes! You should totally start your yoga journey as soon as possible! There are so many paths to take on it and I am sure you will find one to love, grow, and get stronger with!
Susan
I can totally relate. I began taking yoga as a dancer and had the same experience. Years later, I took a class to support a friend who was just starting her teaching career. There were a lot of seniors in the class and I knew it was going to be gentle. It was then, that I found ease in class. I had nowhere else to be and was just in the moment on my mat. I didn't try the more difficult poses and loved it.
Of course, I enjoy many types of yoga and the dancer comes out when there is a challenge before me. I have enjoyed the journey and definitely think everyone has their own practice in a studio or at home π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
My yoga is just not the "gentle" kind or the studio kind. I need to do what I need to do that day, thus, my own personal practice is all that can fulfill me!
Michele @ paleorunningmomma
I am naturally a self-conscious person and a class setting does activate that for me I've found, taking away from my "presence" although that is all on me and my perspective. I've only been practicing yoga at home so can't compare right now, but I do love the feeling of peace and presence it gives me to completely focus in the moment. I'm also an introvert so I imagine it's a very different experience for extroverts. I feel revitalized after spending time alone with any activity.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I am not self conscious in the least, but I just find it more mentally fufiling to do things on my own. It takes more mental toughness and drive. The act just become more purposeful and meaningful for me.
Emily @My Healthyish Life
I was just telling my mom this weekend that my yoga has become a "home away from home." But I really love my studio and the people in it. My studio is what made me fall in love with yoga, actually. So that just goes to show that my yoga is different from yours. Which is different from hers...and so on π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Exactly! There is so much more that goes into yoga than just yoga! When you find that, you know you have found the right path!