Falling with Joy

Sometimes in life we fall. In yoga we can fall out of poses. What makes us fall? Is it our lack of focus, is it lack of deep breathing? Is it just meant to be? What about saying....is it something we can learn and grow from? Too often in life we are faced with a storm, and never look for the sunshine after. The same attitude translates into our yoga practice, we are faced with a challenging pose, and we get so negative when we fall out, when we lose balance or when we don't do it as good as the next person. Let's begin by losing the ego, and living in the moment! Lets take the concept of detachment from our yoga practice into our life, if you fall, learn, grow and get back up again. Stop revisiting the fall, stop reliving the emotions behind the fall, and celebrate the courage it takes to get back up again. Let's take the concept of joyful learning from our yoga practice into our life. When we fall, rather than harp on it, instead, smile and be joyful, you survived Tree Pose, YEAAAAA!!! It is easy to create a laundry list of negative experiences, and thoughts, but that negativity even if directed towards someone who has hurt us, will transpire in other areas of our life. Do we need to carry such baggage? Shift your energy to a positive laundry list of positive experiences and thoughts, celebrating people who have challenged you and made you learn and grow, celebrating experiences that made you stronger, celebrating your faith in poses that taught you the importance of breathing. Throughout life and yoga, we all fall, the challenge is to fall with joy!
Photo: Ambria "falling" out of Astavakrasana "Eight Angle Pose", taken by Denise Rivera-Melendez