One thing I hear when I tell people I am a yoga teacher is, “Oh, I really should do that,” as if yoga was a yucky, dry multivitamin, or that cruciferous veg that feels like you are being crucified when you choke it down. Another thing I hear is,“I’d do yoga, but I don’t have a mat or any of the stuff you need.”
So, here’s my first Yoga Don’t. You DON’T need a mat. Or any of the other stuff some yoga outlet tells you to get on instagram. Ancient yogis did their thing on the dirt. Maybe a little straw mat, but I don’t think so. Dirt.
So, I humbly offer this newsy newsletter with my thoughts on what you don’t need for mindful movement to get you to a flowy state. And, some stuff I offer you can use that you already possess: your own luscious, marvelous, not-perfect body.
If you are currently breathing, you are perfect. If not, cheers to your journey. You probably won’t need yoga.
The thing I find interesting about a yoga mat is the shape. A step wide rectangle. As if people only moved in 2 dimensions. If I want to do some swirly thing with a random arm, I am totally off my rectangle. Is that ok?
YES! So, just for fun, step outside. Just you, your body, and the sky. No mat.
Maybe try a few stretches, like lifting your arms above your head, and look up. At the sky. Pay no mind to anyone and what they think— this is a gift to your amazingly badass self. Now just stand there for a minute. Take a breath, like you mean it. Like it was the first breath you took.
Maybe bring your arms down, slowly through your center line, as if you were packing Grandma’s beloved feather quilt into a box. Try a couple more, lifting arms out to the side, like you were tracing a rainbow created just around you. Softly floating those hands down like a soft snowflake. Maybe a little pat to your heart center.
See? No mat needed, just a minute or three to open yourself to something greater than whatever was causing your eyes to glass over a few minutes before.