My journey over the past 4+ years has been one of self acceptance and greater awareness.
A balancing act of pushing myself and accepting those times when I need to turn inward for a while. When I first started down this road, those two were independent of each other. Over the past year though they’ve come together in a pretty incredible way.
The ability, and our capacity, to be aware of what we are feeling, experiencing, desiring on a deep personal level - while also pushing ourselves in uncomfortable ways to be the best possible version of ourselves is incredibly powerful.
I now understand that they had to be independent of one another while I honed these skills. The merging of the two, so they share the same space and happen simultaneously is what united my coaching practice and Yin Yoga for me.
In coaching sessions, we start out building awareness around what we are feeling. Simple awareness. Every time we pay attention, and shine a light in those dark areas we avoid - we are breaking up the darkness. Our stories lose their power.
To be able to build this awareness, and hone this skill, while also challenging ourselves physically is transformative.
Yin teaches us to find stillness in discomfort. Stillness in both mind and body. It’s in this stillness that we meet self acceptance. It suddenly becomes clear that everything about our bodies, our stories, is exactly as it should be. It is all part of our journey, part of what we are here to learn.
Imagine waking up, looking at yourself in the mirror, and tuning into the thoughts running through your head. And instead of loathing, or sinking into a feeling of inadequacy - you meet those thoughts with kind curiosity. You become curious about where that thought originated, and what it’s here to teach you.
Every time we meet ourselves with kindness and get real about where these ideals originate and step into the power we have when we meet them head on, we win a battle that so many others are fighting along with us.
Can you truly believe that you are exactly where you are supposed to be right now? And then look at the opportunity for growth and freedom that your current state is offering you? It's a tough one, but man is it so powerful.