How do you step onto your mat?

Yes, you read correctly: how do you step onto your mat? Not when or why, but: how. Let me explain to you why, in my personal opinion, it is so important to know about this. 

When we look at the physical practice of yoga, we all have different reasons for practicing. Some of us might simply enjoy the benefits of moving, strengthening and stretching, while others want to train their mind or have more of an emotional, chakra-focused approach. At the end of the day, the reasons are as diverse and unlimited as the ways to practice in itself.

So after you have established YOUR why, I would like to invite you to think about your sensations and your thoughts during the practice. Do you know your boundaries both mentally and physically on the  mat? Do you accept them and practice with selflove and kindness? What happens when you notice that your practice isn't going as you thought it would?

If we constantly practice because we finally want to touch our toes in a forward fold and - this is the crucial part - get very frustrated when we don't achieve a goal that we have set for ourselves, we will probably stay frustrated in our future practice. Your body and mind might remember. If there is frustration or anger towards yourself during your practice on a regular basis, you will probably feel this way the moment you step onto your mat. Let this be more of a "bad-case-scenario". However if, on the other hand, we step on the mat and are kind to our body and our practice, we will start to feel loved and appreciated when we step on the mat. 

By cultivating a sustainable, self-loving yoga practice we not only treat our body and mind with kindness, but we also understand that yoga is so much more than just a physical practice and that the word "practice" means different things for every one of us. 

So I'd like you to rethink once again. how do you step onto your mat? How do you practice? 

Written by Doris