Creating strength, joy, and abundance
“Don’t let the noise get you down today. Know your worth; embrace your truth; practice forgiveness, acceptance, and gratitude for self and others; seek affirmations. Haters gonna hate. Love them too, sometimes they need it the most.”
Finding gratitude in what our bodies allow us to do.
Gratitude for all who’ve reached out lately or shared kind notes in the last few months to reaffirm what I am trying to create as a teacher in various realms of wellness. The above quote was my starting mantra this week in direct response to one of the “precious jewels” in my life. Admittedly, it’s not easy to move through our days without taking criticism personally. I strive for peaceful connections and open-heartedness in all of my relationships, but I also know that I cannot spend all my energy where it’s not seen, heard, or felt. We had this talk around the holidays: being aware of how we spend our energy, seeking the places where the ROI (return on investment) is greatest. I feel that it’s similar with how we see our bodies. I’m grateful for those who are tuning out the noise of society and following their own truths.
My heart felt full in recent weeks as many of my dear, dedicated students shared their small victories, new positive mindsets, and what pre-conceived notions they will now release regarding body image and ability. I’m grateful that these bright shining souls continue to show up on their mats and in their lives to explore their strengths and not focus on perceived weaknesses, to accept themselves over and over each day instead of letting one dark event wreck their goals, to dare to create something new and refreshing even if others say they can’t or shouldn’t. You all inspire me; you give me purpose on this journey as a teacher. I thank you.
Through an interaction last week when a student so graciously shared her story, I was able to reflect on my own journey. I wasn’t raised in an environment of body positivity. I moved through it in a safer way than some family members did, but it left deep imprints that took years to shed. Many people look at me as being super fit and healthy. Some imagine that I’ve always been this way. But just a few short years ago I was very unhealthy in mind, body, and spirit and ready to settle. It took a very painful, stressful lifestyle-induced injury to open my eyes to what I needed in this short life. The first thing I wanted was less or no pain. So I started there, with baby steps. As my body grew stronger and moved through the daily pain, I began to feel more confident in how I could move. I began to see my potential strength in mind and body. I kept strict boundaries with self-care, sometimes at the expense of relationships, but I knew I wasn’t much good in those relationships if I wasn’t in a healthy place mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I think of the Hindu god Shiva who destroys all in order to allow rebuilding, rebirth.
Time and space got me going; community and friend support kept me on the path; strength, stamina, flexibility, focus and a sense of aliveness are what keep me here today. In my 40s I can run, dance, jump, play, fall down hard and get back up. And I absolutely do NOT take that for granted.
Through my teacher training and continued yogic studies I’ve learned to appreciate how different all of our bodies are. We may be born with a certain structure and range of motion so we do our best to work within that. We honor our bodies and meet them where they are without judgment or comparison to others or to our former/future selves. We stay present while having goals in mind. From my yoga anatomy studies—two people can be in the very same expression of a yoga pose (their Downward-Facing Dogs may look the same), but they are feeling it completely differently in their bodies. One is pushed to the extreme, the other is just casually hanging out. I’ve often felt shocked in trainings and classes when teachers suggested a certain way that a pose should look. I know I’ve cued asanas to meet a basic shape, but I continue to strive to offer a range to my students knowing that everyone has different abilities and proprioception. It’s beautifully humbling to learn where people are in their poses and why. Seeking to understand is a theme and goal in my personal life; I’m grateful that I can bring that to my students as well. They continue to challenge me.
I’m humbled by those who share that they feel a safe space to practice within my classes, in-person or online. For someone who has ebbed and flowed with body shape, size, and image throughout her life, I understand how settling and comforting it can feel to find this space. I offer gratitude for those who accept me in my spaces as well. No matter how fit I may appear to some, there is always a person ready to say that I’m too skinny or too bony. My athletic body didn't originally feel like it fit within my beloved world of Afro-Latin dancing where I appreciate the curvaceousness of my fellow Latinas. Just yesterday I spoke to a parent trying to coordinate summer kids yoga who mentioned her daughter wasn’t very athletic. I was grateful to share that yoga is a space for ALL to feel included. My daughter is not athletic—though she finds her own ways to be active. She has thrived in a realm where free movement, stretching, and breathwork are central. I am excited to continue bringing that opportunity through my work.
Thank you, Dear Souls, for loving yourselves in any little ways you can. Thank you for showing up for yourselves (and me!), thank you for your kind words of encouragement which always come at exactly the right moment, thank you for all the ways you show support. I feel strength, joy, and abundance in our sangha (community). Let’s keep building something positive. Namaste.