Getting Started

Recently I had an intuitive nudge to begin taking yoga classes. I’ve done yoga before- when I was pregnant with my first son. It was fun and relaxing and I enjoyed it. But that was 12 years ago. Since then, my exercise routine consists of daily ab and arm work from home and a 2 mile walk- all before 7am. This ritual has become a joyful part of my life and satisfies me on the physical level.

But this whisper came to try yoga. So I researched local classes, asked for feedback from friends and gathered all the information to begin taking a class. And I still haven’t gone.

The resistance is evident. I sense it in my body.

Those sensations have been popping up a lot lately. I notice them whenever I begin something new. It’s one of the ways fear shows up- doing it’s best to create an obstacle between what I want to do and actually doing it.

Have you noticed that too? How does fear show up in your life? What is it preventing you from trying, doing, exploring, sharing? Are there any misunderstandings or misinterpretations that may be present that you can re-think and reframe?

We can use these opportunities to get to some lovely nuggets and heal some of these errors in thinking. The good news is that you’ve already begun by recognizing the symptoms. Congratulations! Now, allow yourself some time to reflect, sit in the discomfort of the fear and try to determine its source. You may even want to visualize the fear, asking it for any wisdom it may have to offer. Allow whatever comes up to gently move through you. And after you’ve had your feelings around what’s come forward, allow it all to melt away.

As it turns out, for me the fear that starting yoga brought forward was that I would lose some of my very precious alone time. I use this time to complete tasks on my ever-growing to-do list. Or sometimes I use it to relax and binge watch some of my favorite British historical television shows. (Have you seen Call the Midwife?)

We’re all constantly trying to balance our busy lives. So perhaps this isn’t the right time for yoga? I haven’t decided. But now that I’ve gotten to the heart of the resistance, I plan on staying open and trusting whatever decision I make will be in alignment with my truth.

In loving,

Sarah