Yoga is a great practice for keeping an even keel. One may take lessons from a teacher or have friendly sessions with friends or practice alone. It took some effort for me to learn to practice alone. Weekly classes had worked well; we had a skilled, caring, intuitive teacher and I showed up for nearly every class. We were encouraged to practice at home, but it was a long time before I was able to get past my resistance. Turns out that a simple key was waiting for me. I didn’t commit to a whole routine of movements and breathing on my own. I just did something that felt good. If it was only one movement, I patted myself on the back just as I would for a longer or more complex series. Quickly, my practice became rewarding, and it flowed very easily.
Over time, yoga practice has faded some with the embrace of other activities. But the body awareness integrated with conscious breathing became imbedded in my core and is never lost. This week, I just had to find that old key: one small exercise done with sincere intention is very good. Practice can maintain or grow or contract at its own timing.
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