My yoga instructor totally made me laugh the other day when we were in pyramid yoga pose (parsvottonasana). She must have noticed quite a few of us struggling, because she said to us, “Don’t fight the pose; embrace the pose.” It made me think to myself, Yeah, why am I being such a dork, struggling to get my head to my leg, barely keeping my balance, and not enjoying the benefits of the pose? Putting a whole new spin on the pose by embracing it suddenly made all the difference in the world. I stopped thinking about how awkward I felt, the mildly uncomfortable stretch in the back of my leg, and just let myself enjoy the lengthening of my muscles as I relaxed into the pose. My head started to slowly move forward, I was keeping my balance, and I got a big smile on my face. I kept taking the instructors advice throughout the yoga class and let the love flow for each and every yoga pose.
The reason it made me laugh is because it reminded me so much of one of my favorite sayings: “I’m a lover, not a fighter.” I don’t know where I originally heard this, but I use it a lot, and it always makes me laugh.
So, next time you’re in a difficult yoga pose (or position in life), try being a lover, not a fighter. Open up your mind and embrace the situation; you’ll be amazed what a difference it can make.
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