#practiceahimsa

What’s the point of being flexible on the mat if one can’t be flexible in life? I question myself everyday about this matter. I have the tendency to get too attached to my beliefs leaving little to no room to other perspectives, so my work everyday is to observe and be aware of this patterns, identify when they happen and understanding that there is no reason to become defensive. For some reason there is a part of our “I ness” that feels threaten when something doesn’t fit its structures. I believe the most important work we have is not the work of putting our leg behind the head, though it’s fun and enjoyable and also can serve as a mind tool in many ways, but the most important work goes beyond that. I believe that the path of consciousness asks us to become more compassionate and less judgmental, more grateful and less whining, more forgiving and less resentful, more together and less separated. I believe in the practice of devotion towards humans and all beings. I commit to the practice of love and kindness through actions, beyond the frontier of my words. . . . 📸👉🏽 photo by my beloved @b.p.wcislo . . . #kindness #love #devotion #compassion #maitri #karuna #practiceahimsa #practicekindnessandcompassion #yogajourney #selfobservation #selfknowledge #svadhyaya #visvamitrasana (at Fort DeSoto North Beach, St Petersburg, FL) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0XENoMH5X_/?igshid=1rs6b7vk2bypv

Past trauma will surface in practice - whether we recognise it or not, this is usually the source of discomfort in practice for most people. And it appears differently for each person, depending on the nature and depth of that trauma. . For me personally, backbends trigger that flight-or-fight response in me. Throughout my childhood and up to my adulthood, I’ve learnt to harden myself as a coping mechanism. Whenever emotions became overwhelming in my chest and I wanted relief from it, I used to tell myself that crying was an act of weakness. So I swallowed it in and learnt to harden myself up. It was my way of coping and moving on with life at times when I felt like breaking down. . To me, that sense of opening in the chest that backbends require feels like the overwhelming emotions in my chest that I’m used to closing off. And so continuing into a backbend, to me, feels like an act of vulnerability that I’ve always associated with weakness. It has been very very hard to change that perception. For me, it’s part of the reason why backbends took a long time for me to feel comfortable in. Internally, it was the process of learning be okay in moments of vulnerability. . I do get students who are frustrated with their non progression in yoga poses and ask me for tips. Unfortunately I don’t have the answer. But I do believe that we often get stuck because there’s an internal barrier. And it’s part of the person journey to notice that barrier and work through them individually. . So next time we find ourselves stuck, perhaps we can allow ourselves some compassion. Instead of flooding our minds with judgement, criticism and forcefulness, maybe we can try to just notice the sensations that emerge, using our breath as a tool for compassion. There is no need to rush the process of discovery. . #practiceahimsa #onebreathatatime https://www.instagram.com/p/BqHC_6tg5qC/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1jt07ent9q8j0

What if the idea of “perfection” wasn’t a constant? What if we just shifted our perception a little? What if, instead of a static visual representation of what something should look like, “perfection” became a fluid ever-changing sensation that was focused on our internal intention and best efforts? . What if my perfection today was based on my best efforts today, which could be very different from what my perfection could feel (and look) like tomorrow, and yet still be equally as perfect. Maybe with this subtle shift in perspective we can learn to stop being so harsh on ourself... and hopefully also to others. . #practiceahimsa #practiceyogachangeyourworld

A lot of times I focus on where I need to be instead of where I am - both in my practice and in life. I feel like a lot of us have been conditioned to think this way. Subconsciously, I compare myself to others, see where I rank in comparison and then try to figure out a way to get to that higher rank faster. And, subconsciously, I submerge myself in pride if I’ve somehow faired off “better” than someone else based on the ridiculous criteria I’ve made up in my head. It was a thought process so engrained in me that I didn’t really think twice about it. . So naturally, when I started yoga I brought this mindset with me in my practice. It took years of practice to even start being aware of this habit and seeing it for what it is. And then a few more years to start noticing it as it occurs. To really catch myself in those moments of assessment, self worthiness, guilt, and pride, and learning to let them go without judgement. . It still sneaks up on me, and I’m sure it will be a lifelong practice of constant awareness. But I’m slowly trying to release this self assessment, expectations, and measure of worthiness that I have for myself. One breathe at a time. . . . Day 19 of #ayearofyoga2018 is #padangusthadhanurasana Swipe ➡️ to see the comparison from last year. Last year I was obsessed with trying to get my foot closer to my head, comparing my practice with all the other amazing yogis on IG and wondering why after all these years of practising yoga I still couldn’t get my feet to my toes (even though that wasn’t even the point of the pose!)! I fed myself with a lot of negativity and guilt in the process. This year, I decided to let go of what everyone else looks like in this pose - that’s their personal journey and it’s beautiful, but mine would naturally look different and that’s beautiful too. And so I focused on the shoulder opening and the strength of the thighs. This is what it looks like even though I’ve been doing yoga for 7 years now. And I’m grateful for my body and the awareness it has helped me to create in my mind ❤️ #yogalessonsarelifelessons #practiceahimsa

How do you let go of attachment? Attachment naturally drops when we no longer seek to find ourselves in them. When we stop defining ourselves in things or actions. Ultimately when we stop defining ourselves, period. . In the meantime, we can learn to be honestly aware of our attachments. . . . I overstretched a ligament in my shoulder about a week ago. For a few days, I was kind of in denial about it and tried to continue on with my usual practice. But then it started getting worse, and I had to take a step back. When I took a step back in my practice, I got a little frustrated and disappointed with myself because it meant I might not be able to work on any of my strength poses - no chaturanga, no arm balances, and definitely no handstands. There was also fear that all that I’ve been working on for the past few months would disappear. Then it made me realise that the source of this frustration and disappointment in myself is because I’ve defined myself as this person - this yoga person who can do amazing chaturangas, hand balances and can hold handstands. And without those things, what does that leave me with? . I decided that of course I’m more than that. And loving my shoulder and assisting it through its healing process is more important than feeding my ego. . So for a couple of weeks, you may not see any cool arm balances or inversions on my IG post. I’m okay with that. Hope you are too 😉 And if you’re not, I’m okay with that too 😊 . . . . . #findingbalance #lettinggo #removingattachments #lettinggoofattachments #yogalessonsarelifelessons #balancingpose #toestand #toestandvariation #yogajournal #yogajourney #lessonsoffthemat #practiceahimsa #practiceyogachangeyourworld #onebreatheatatime #lettingitallgo #inhaleexhale #loveandalliscoming #practiceandalliscoming #fortheloveofyoga #yogaeveryblessedday #blessedyogi #gratefulyogi #yogalove #yogagirl #yogisofig (at Singapore)

Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at this moment. . . . . . #butterflypose #baddhakonasana #hipopeners #butterflyvariation #practicemindfully #practiceahimsa #practicrawareness #meditation #hipstretch #yogaeveryblessedday #practicegratitude #practiceandalliscoming #yogagirl #yogalove #yogalife #yogapose #hybridpose #yogisofig #igyoga #igyogacommunity #liveyouryoga #yogajourney

Just devoured these homemade sweet potato black bean burgers 😍 YUM!! I also just posted my latest blog post~ everyday is EARTH day! 8 tips to becoming more Eco-friendly. In honor of this day being devoted to our Mother Earth, I wrote about a few ways that we can lessen our waste and our carbon footprint. It's so hard to think that something so small could make a difference, but with millions of people doing the same thing it could seriously save our planet. 💚 Check out the link in my bio and head to the blog, or click on this link below! https://thesillyyogi.com/2016/04/22/every-day-is-earth-day-8-tips-to-becoming-more-eco-friendly/ Namaste, friends! 🌎✨ #earthday #earthday2016 #everydayisearthday #vegan #eatmoreplants #savetheplanet #lessenyourwaste #lessenyourcarbonfootprint #openyourheart #compassion #practiceahimsa #loveourearth #loveourmother

y a y f o r o a t s !! 💛💛 #whatveganseat #vegan #plantbased #oatsforever #yum #crueltyfreeeating #crueltyfreeliving #practiceahimsa