See, I understand the hesitation of new beginnings, a fear of unknown( not so much life threatening but still unknown ) and not so comfortable periods of in-betweens.
I ran 3miles on a treadmill today. I am sure, its not a big deal for so many of you but for me its a pretty big deal. I can walk,can walk a lot, I mean all day. I can hike with some effort but running, not my thing. I have tried the way I have tried to learn how banking system works, learn to stick to a schedule or learn math. I start with all earnestness but give up after a mile mark. I have tried to run in a quite park where I thought no one is watching,I have tried randomly sometimes in gym between people with the fierceness and always have landed walking.
There were always reasons not to run. My ankles are weak, I am not strong or I do not just like huffing and puffing.And they are valid reasons but do not really serve my purpose when I want to learn something new. See I have seen people run, my son run, my husband run and know a lots of people who enjoy running. It seems like a great exercise , looks very graceful but when I decided to really run and complete my goal of atleast 3 miles it was not the easy.
I equipped myself for success, an episode from my favorite series West Wing, my favorite sneakers and my favorite time of the day so that I do not have any excuse for not finishing my 3 miles. I started running like I have seen my son run, with speed and rhythm and was out of breath in 3 minutes. After some of these bursts of running and pausing, I got into a rhythm of fast walking and running which suited me. I did what I ask all my beginner students to do, stay in the room for the whole class, go slow, do as much as you can and sit down if need be. I treated myself like I I would treat my beginner student, with patience and kindness. By the end of the 45minute episode,after running close to 4 miles, while I was doing my stretches on my favorite Yoga mat,I felt accomplished. There is no greater feeling than feeling of success.
See I understand the hesitation of new beginnings, a fear of unknown( not so much life threatening but still unknown ) and not so comfortable periods of in-betweens.So,I will be posting some new yoga videos for someone who will be learning how to roll out their mats.You can learn the movements of asana, pranayama( energy and breath movement) and dhyana( meditation) at the comfort of your own home.Turn on your favorite music on low, wear your most comfortable outfit, find a quite place and let practice. Remember to treat yourself with kindness and you will be ok.
Take care & Namaskar !
