Practice Supports You (even when you're not doing it)

For several months, I didn’t do my sitting practice.  At all. 

At first, it was because it required all of me to switch the studio to a virtual platform when the pandemic hit. But, by the time the software got sorted, our community was able to navigate it, and I no longer had to be ON 24/7, I had trained my nervous system into hyper vigilance.

It’s taken months to untrain and I wouldn’t say I’m out of the woods yet, because technically speaking, we are still in the woods.

There can be a lot of shame in, “falling off the wagon,” and teachings about how, “when you don’t have time to meditate and pray for 10 minutes, you should meditate and pray for an hour.” I’ve shared these quotes myself.

I am relieving myself of the seeming requirement of Yoga instructors and studio owners to be sage-like advice dispensers, and am saying this only from the experience of one human practitioner to another. 

In Yoga, we often talk about how the mat is the laboratory to get honest and self-reflective so we can walk around in the world more honestly and compassionately. Practice supports us for far longer than the time we spend on the mat or meditation cushion. Consistency in practice is important, yes, of course. But it is important BECAUSE practice is a living support in real life. We take our real selves with us everywhere we go. It's helpful to know what we are lugging around. 

Practice helps us sit in the stillness where we aren’t expected to continually ingest, and gives us the space to digest. Consistent practice is important because it enables us to connect so deeply with the Truth of what is and to our dharma (purpose), that we can show up ready.

My past digestion practice served me so incredibly well, and has carried me back again to a landing place. 

I hope that (if your practice has also been paused) this reminds you of all of the ways it has served you during this crazy time, and that you feel gratitude instead of guilt.  And if you haven't started yet, I hope this inspires you to begin. 

With Love and Hope, 

Christy