self-assessment
The beginning of each class starts in a variety of poses, but they always require you to scan yourself from the top to the bottom. It is the self-discovery each day to determine what areas of your body require breath, focus, and stretch. Imagine if you were this in tune with yourself every day that you set aside time to identify the state of your physical being because, let's be honest, your physical state of being is directly related to your mental, spiritual, and emotional state of being.
In my scan during today's class, I felt a little tightness. Which was to expected since I had just previously gotten a ticket for my expired registration sticker. I literally just noticed its expiration before the White Settlement PD scanned my plate and pulled me over. Obviously I know I can get my new sticker and the ticket waved, but the entire process of being pulled over is just flustering. So, as I drove toward the yoga studio an hour ish later I was already working on my breathing and scanning my body. This mental shift occurring before I hit the mat shows me how yoga has really made an impact on me.
I believe that the ability for self-assessment allows one to be more at ease with where or in what state we are in so that we are able to accurately treat ourselves. Too often we rely on others in order to assess ourselves because we obsess with what others think, and even worse we buy into their opinions. On the mat, it is only you. And in the studio, you are led by someone who is working your body through poses that allow you to better understand yourself. No requirements that you be perfect, only that you embrace the obstacles in front of you.
Even though I felt my body was not up for extreme flexibility today, I moved through class with the sunshine instructor making me smile with her non-traditional references blended with her insightful understanding on the body structure and location of our bones in different poses. It is beyond helpful when she explains how your muscles and hips react to each pose, then steps you can take to ensure your body is successfully and safely in the position.
It took me a long time to self-assess the state of my heart, and in March I took steps to reclaim it. That's when registration sticker went out, and yes it took me 3 months to notice it was expired which is a ginormous symbol of how much I had been in almost just survival mode since then. Now that I scan my body every day to examine where I am tense, what sections need special attention, and how to best serve myself for my well-being I am able to better overcome obstacles in front of me and recognize areas before they turn into obstacles.
We all possess the ability to be proactive instead of reactive, yet many of us choose the easier of the two. Proactive requires work ahead of time instead of just reacting. To be proactive, many people rely on fear to motivate and develop a reaction. Preparation to be proactive eliminates this need to be afraid of what is to come, and instead replaces the negative emotion with layers of positivity. It's a choice.