Beginnings

Here I am still trying to keep my head above water. I have to admit that I've done better than last year but some things are falling by the wayside. But the biggest change is that I am being less hard on myself!

This last year has had a lot of endings and I've been reflecting on them lately especially with the weather and time change. This fact of life, endings, can be bittersweet. On one hand, I am sad for certain endings but on the other hand, I am enthusiastic about what's around the corner, new beginnings! I see so much just ahead and I can't wait to get started. A new instructor status (Inspired!), a new apartment, new friendships, etc.

Beginnings can be scary and tough to navigate sometimes. But if we go in with fear, the experience can be negative. I am choosing to move forward with enthusiasm which is what I'm teaching tonight in class. Opening your heart in asana can be scary, an old instinct that tells us to protect our vital organs. And opening the proverbial heart can be even scarier. Our past experiences can tell us "watch out, you've been here before and remember how that turned out!".

But if we never move forward, we stagnate, fester in our old ways. Why not practice opening, first on the mat and then on to the rest of our lives?