Wellbeing Lifelong

The third BeLikeYoga series focuses on Acceptance.

As well as strength and flexibility, yoga is a discipline that requires acceptance. In almost every class I have been, the teacher repeats to us that we don’t have to strictly follow the flow. We can rest, or speed up, as we need.

In life, like in yoga, we all follow our own path. Our own life journey. Similarly to what was mentioned recently in the post about comparison, trying to force ourselves to be who we are not is detrimental to our well-being.

Doing that in yoga is basically impossible, and that is a great lesson of humility. You cannot do a headstand until you find your inner balance and your core becomes a bit stronger. You cannot bend your back like a pro yogi unless your flexibility has been trained for months, or even years. You cannot hold an arm balance if your arms have never been exposed to the strength that it requires. In yoga, you encounter so many “cannot”, and you also realise that it is okay to can not.

What I like about yoga, and what also started to introduce to my life, is this happy acceptance of our present situation. It is what it is, nothing more, nothing less.

We can always focus, be patient and work hard, and results are likely to arrive. I see that in my yoga journey almost every week. However, acceptance of ourselves, lack of judging, is one of the most valuable lessons I took from yoga.

It prevents us from comparing ourselves to others in a negative way. It embraces difference and personal life journeys. The yogi on your right could be cracking a handstand, while the one in your left is resting in child’s pose, and that is all okay in yoga. And it is such a relief to get out of the performance race, because moving forward only depends on you.

Life is full of demands, full of pressures. Accepting our path, and accepting others, is one of the secrets to live a peaceful and full-filling life.

If you are struggling, take a break, slow down. If you are energised, go ahead, enjoy yourself! Be Accepting. Don’t let others affect how you feel – but be brave and humble to embrace the present moment, even if it is not exactly what you wanted, chances are that you will get there eventually.