Do you ever get lost in the stereotypes of certain things you desire to try? For example, yoga holds many stereotypes — such as flexibility is a necessity — that would have otherwise kept me from ever beginning. You’ve probably heard the others, such as “Certain clothing must be worn in order to practice correctly,” or “Arm balances are a must know in order to be good at yoga.”
These, and many more, are stereotypes that keep us stuck or stop us before we ever think to just try it out ourselves.
Stuck in the cycle of busy hoping that one day there will be time for your and what you want?
You are not alone. PEACEFUL LIVING COACHING is here to support you!
I am thankful that my yoga practice began in high school through my dance teacher who said, “this is what we are doing, follow along with the video or you will not get the points.” In other words, I had to practice without question to pass dance class. Through this experience, I learned that I actually really loved practicing yoga, and it was my go-to for exercise.
My yoga in dance class opportunity kept me from creating stereotypical excuses, and released the chance from never beginning in the first place.
I am grateful for this experience. Most importantly for this reason: when I began practicing yoga again outside of my high school… stereotypes began to set in.
It was 2002 and I was at a local gym. I saw they offered yoga and I was truly excited to practice my first “real” yoga class. To me “real yoga class” meant with an actual teacher — not a VHS tape. I had never personally experienced a yoga class with a physical teacher, and I was really excited for this moment.
When we were thirty minutes into class, the teacher popped us into a headstand. Without direction on how to get into the headstand. While I am flailing my 20 year old legs in the air with little direction, I see the man next to me get into an effortless headstand. When I asked, “how am I to do that?” the teacher said to use our ab muscles to which I joked, “I don’t have ab muscles” and she replied, “now, we allllll have ab muscles.”
Though this was true, it was extremely unhelpful. The teacher failed to show us how to get into a headstand and because I did not receive the guidance to attempt, I lost hope.
I quit before I even began.
My first in-person yoga class experience kept me in the mindset that I needed to have ab muscles AND know how to headstand before I could take a class again, with people around.
It wasn’t until 2009 that I began again, I chose to let go of the stereotypes, and took a class with people in it. During my lull, it was VHS yoga all the way, in my living room.
This next experience with an in-person yoga class was lovely, people were practicing at various levels and the teacher was welcoming. Through trying it again, I fell back in love with the idea that perhaps one day I could become a yoga teacher.
I wonder, what stereotypes are keeping you from attempting what you are curious to try?
What are you choosing to believe that is limiting you from attempting, even if it may not actually be true?
For me, it was, headstands are a necessity to practice yoga in public, until I realized that was a sham. Yoga practitioners come in all levels, shapes, sizes, and personalities and I did not need to stand on my head, to practice yoga.
Discover COMMUNITIES hosted by our PLW experts and surround yourself with like-minded individuals looking to live a peace infused, healthy life.
Perhaps the stereotype keeping you away is that you have to be flexible (false, yoga actually creates flexibility.)
Or you need to wear a certain kind of clothing to practice (girl, come to class in your sweats, they work too!)
Maybe your belief due to certain stereotypes is that you don’t fit in (a yoga practice is for you, not anyone else. Come practice, feel good, say hi, and do your thing.)
Whatever it may be, I want to inspire you to drop the stereotypes and begin again. Imagine yourself moving with your breath, having an hour to yourself and truly reconnecting with your physical body. Now imagine feeling good in your amazing body after you practice. Imagine feeling so good because you did the thing that you wanted to do.
I wonder what would happen if just for today you chose to give yourself the attitude of “I got this because I want it” and do what it is you desire?
This is the first step to being completely true to you and when you choose this your life becomes so much more freeing.
What will you choose?
Share in the comments below!
Also, if you are inspired to try yoga and you want to do so in the comfort of your living room, I invite you to easily begin now in my Effervescence YogaSpa On Demand Wellness Studio. Enjoy your first 14 days as a gift from me to you!
I also have two weeks, live on Zoom for free. Practice live with our fabulous teachers located within my yoga studio: Effervescence YogaSpa.
BRITTNEY HILLER
Brittney is the creator of the Effervescence Yoga brand and the owner of Effervescense Yoga Spa in the beautiful resort town of Beaufort, South Carolina. Brittney is passionate about leading a life full of laughter and joy! That is why she is also a certificated laughter yoga teacher & laughter yoga leadership trainer. She is also a Follow-Your-Passion Coach and the producer and head talent of Flowcountry, the Lowcountry’s only streaming yoga show!
