Exploring Personal Growth Through My Yoga Practice

It’s been a season of stretching. Not stretching in the physical sense, although yoga brings me that opportunity, often. I mean, emotionally and spiritually. I’m softening and maybe accepting myself a little more. It feels really nice to say that.

In yoga earlier, as I pushed myself to try the harder option of a pose we’d been shown, I found a small glow in my heart. It was pride. Not because I’d pushed myself and I’d done this hard thing that I’d never thought I’d be able to do. (Although, I was proud of that, too.)

But what really gave me a gentle hug was the grace that I’ve been giving myself lately when faced with either choosing the hard or easy option. I no longer shame myself for choosing the easier option, as I might have done in the past. Instead, I hold the easy pose with grateful confidence, happy in the knowledge that I am where I am. And when I am ready, I will be elsewhere.

It has given me the freedom to embrace growth, this newfound ease and acceptance. From this place I can grow steadily at my own pace, without shame’s spiny tendrils wrapping their sneaky way through my peace.

Of course, I expect this ease is also a visitor, and who knows when I’ll deal with another wave of the inevitable human insecurities we all share this glorious stage with.

But for now, for today, this is where I am.

And this, I feel, is good.