Yoga Bragging. It's all wrong.

Bragging about yoga isn't right really is it? The principles of yoga is practice and enjoyment. "Improvements" are just a progression, whether appreciated, shared or not. They are there a side effect of the journey but not a necessary result of the journey. That doesn't stop me appreciating them though.

I have been reading Yoga Girl by and about Rachel Brethen and yoga, strangely enough. Not money for old rope as such since many of her early posts online are so far in the mists of time I won't ever find them and it's good to know the history of a person and it's good to have a beautiful book to look at.

Furthermore her book brings forward many of the philosophies of yoga previously undisclosed to me by stuffy old man books and inaccessible classes. I only started practising again this year because my gym gave me the opportunity of classes without commitment. It's typical that this has been my quiet period at work and I have been consistently attending. Classes are ok but don't teach philosophies, just movement. Rachel's book brings out the yogic practice as it applies to modern life not in the eyes of Mr Iyengar and his water-snorting freaky achievements which seem so freakishly unachievable.

Somehow it seems much more achievable when I see them done by a beautiful blonde woman on a paddle board in the Caribean.

I have been over enthusiastic and rushed my yoga. I haven't hurt myself but I was uncomfortable so I reined myself in and now take great joy from small improvement and work hard until I wobble on areas where I am weak like my core, hips and hamstring flexibility.

So my achievement, quietly tucked away on my blog is that I reached my shoulder stand right back over my head today and held it for some time. I did a forward bend that finally reached my toes for the first time in years. The soles of my feet seem so much closer tonight. Finally, I spent my morning helping someone out at work. Just doing something so they didn't have to while they were away. It was great.

I am remembering a me from many years ago. I am slowly coaxing out someone who didn't judge and despair and rant and finding the helpful positive person who smiled at a day that was average and said, 'You know what? That was alright'.