Yoga and the Ego

March 28, 2013

file7561270859459One thing that yoga has taught me is that you cannot be a “show off.” When you think of yoga, it is common to imagine people in crazy, contorted positions. They are standing on their heads, or wrapping their leg around their neck. But yoga is so much more than inverted positions and advanced flexibility.

Yoga teaches us to be aware of our bodies. We breathe deeply and learn our limitations. Yet we do not judge ourselves or anyone else around us.

We simply accept where we are in our practice, thanking our bodies for doing what it can, and gaining the benefits of each pose.

It is when our ego gets in the way that we injure ourselves. When our eyes stray and look at the body type next to us, we get into trouble. We are all so very different; we each have our own fingerprint on the yoga class. Yoga says, listen to your body.

We need to be good to our bodies. If we focus on our breath, and let the body comparisons around us fade, then we find our own yoga mojo.

Have you ever injured yourself in a yoga class? What happened?