Reintroducing Yoga Into My Life Without Self Judgment

As of the past year, I've been having issues with my back and hips which have been causing a lot of pain. Knowing that I haven't been as physically active as I should be lately, I decided to reintroduce yoga back into my life. I used to love yoga and have been meaning to get back into it so I thought, WHY NOT!

What started as a groupon purchase of 10 yoga classes is now the start of something incredible. I feel that exact feeling that I felt four years ago when I said to myself, "I think I'm going to try to go vegan". I feel passion, I feel excitement, I feel nervous.

It has been a month now of going to classes and at home practice and I feel much more connected to my practice than I ever have before. These are some of the things that I have learned so far.

1. Yoga is a never ending journey of self improvement. I think that's the most beautiful part of yoga. There is always room for improvement, but also, every step of the way is a huge milestone in your journey. Every pose that you improve on is a mini victory on its own. There's always a new pose to learn, a pose you would like to move deeper into, a new flow to try.

2. Everyone has to start somewhere. Everyone is different, and learning to not judge myself has been an interesting challenge. I take classes with people much more advanced than myself but to be honest, it gets me excited because I know that if I stay committed, there will be a huge difference to be seen (AND I'M ALREADY SEEING THE DIFFERENCE).

3.Every accomplishment is something to be proud of, no matter how small. I couldn't touch my toes! Do you know how excited I was when I finally got my hands around my feet? You would have thought I put my leg behind my head. Celebrate, be excited, be proud of yourself. It's worthy of celebration. You're working towards a better you and that's HUGE.

4. Realizing that your body should be at the top of you priority list. Putting all this effort into what goes into my body, while neglecting my physical body seemed counter productive to me. It's like you take two steps forward, just to take three steps back. My body is so important to me. It's the vessel of my being. It's my soul's home. Body love, is self love.

5. Find inspiration in the people around you, but do not let it immobilize you with self doubt. This is HUGE. Probably the most important to me. I now follow many yoga instagram accounts and at first it's like WOW, THESE WOMEN ARE AMAZING...and then it turns into, will that ever be me? How long will that take? Is it even worth it? I'll never be like her. STOP (I'm speaking to you, but also myself). Yoga is not a competition and sometimes looking at these accounts makes you feel inadequate. BUT, then I remember, I am doing something so beautiful for myself, I am very proud of myself, and that I can't wait to move forward and see how my own personal body progresses. You are not those people, and that is a beautiful thing. You are you. You may never know how beautiful your journey can become, if you never start because of self doubt.

6. It is never too late. Some of my biggest inspirations during class are women that are over twice my age. The body is a beautiful thing, and when treated kindly, loves you back. These women are doing poses that feel a lifetime away from me, but they inspire me to push myself because if they can do it, so can I!