Tiki here again with a little inspiration and insight! Over the past few weeks, I’ve been watching you do all those crazy poses in yoga class, and it looks like those postures can get pretty challenging. Yet most of the time, you manage to look pretty calm. This is amazing to me because when I start to feel stressed out, like when my mommy takes me to get my shots, I try to run away from the vet, or better yet, try to bite him. So I started wondering how you guys can do this – stay relaxed and not run away from those Planks and Warrior poses. You don’t even growl (well, most of you don’t, at least!).

I’m realizing that you’re using those poses to teach yourself how to better deal with any stress in your life. By breathing, staying present, and fully experiencing the sensations of that challenging pose without judgment, you start to realize that the pose is a tool for your growth, not just something to be avoided. This starts to carry over into every aspect of your life, and before you know it, you’re realizing that you can grow because of that traffic jam or that deadline at work, rather than just stressing out over it. You can view any challenge in life as an opportunity for growth, and rather than just enduring it, you can even begin to appreciate it for that growth opportunity. This is the way we learn to charge ahead fearlessly into a life that is full of joy and exuberance.

The more you practice and face those Warrior poses head-on, the more you feel how the yoga practice teaches you to appreciate every part of your life. Rather than shying away from the difficult parts of your practice and of your life, you teach yourself instead to face them with peace, focus, and hopefully even a sense of humor. Who knows, if I practice a few more Chaturangas, maybe even I can realize that the stress of getting a shot is really meant to keep me healthy and won’t bite the vet next time!

Namaste,
Tiki