We so often think about our human experience as a series of “this is this” and “that is that” and everything has a place, a designation, a “right” way and a “wrong” way. ? We see it everywhere, even in the yoga world, and especially here on social media. There is one “correct” way of being in a posture and lots of “wrong” ways … just look at all the “do this, not this” posts. And while these are well intentioned and meant to be helpful moments, often they reinforce the idea that “this is yoga” and whatever you might be doing “isn’t yoga”. And so this yoga, which we tote as the most inclusive practice, begins to segregate and divide us, and we question the validity of our own unique body, and beautiful, perfectly imperfect practice. ? There is not one way my friends, there are a thousand ways. There are not “wrong” ways, there are “different” ways. Find your way. Try the suggestions of others, filter through, gather what’s useful and discard the rest. ? Alignment is important yes, to keep the energetic lines open so the energy can flow freely, yes, so that our engagements fortify the framework of the shape, yes. But after we look inside and notice our anatomy and how we are arranging it in the posture, then it’s okay to soften a bit into the shape and make it your own. This is why moving slow is so valuable, there is no rush to get into the next shape and then the next. We can stay a little while, breathe deeply and LEARN from the inside out, viewing the posture energetically. ? Lines and curves can exist in the same moment. You don’t have to choose just One. They will tell you that you must choose, but it’s ok to open your heart and choose everything. ???
