A lot of people feel intimidated by the thought of doing 108 Sun Salutations.
I can personally relate to this.
It’s one of the obstacles many of us face first hearing about it, consider doing it, and before we even enter the yoga studio or let alone step on our mats. Your greatest obstacle right now and then will be stilling your mind.
For me personally, this presents three challenges:
1. Facing, confronting and releasing doubts
We all have an incredibly imaginative internal critic. You, me and the next person you see today has this unwelcome house-guest in our lives. Think about the last time you were faced with something new, or nudging a little bit up against your comfort zone? How many negative scenarios involving your failure, embarrassment, and disappointing others were conjured up? You can stop counting once you reach 200. 🙂
This inner critic is a real busy fellow, right? The problem is that when you listen to her, she’ll be more than happy to show you how to get these results—don’t even try and keep it bottled up cause you’re not worthy. You should instead stick to the same old thing. Well, your yoga practice should be about stepping right up to your critic, pushing her finger out of your face and letting this demoralizing foe know you’re worthy of whatever you step up to.
2. Surrendering to what is, instead of holding on to what “should be”
What I mean by this is that we all have a bad habit of trying to control all or at least large portions of our lives. We try to influence the outcomes of our efforts, experiences, and exertions. Somehow there is a conviction inside of us of how things “should be.” The problem is that a lot of us don’t know where these notions came from, fewer have ever examined them and even less have tried to confront them. In these parts of our lives, we live with this lack of self-awareness. This has us, more times than we care to admit to, clinging to what may not be true.
Well, what happens when our misguided “should be” smacks up against reality? Tension, frustration, and stress. We need to surrender and allow the outcome of our efforts to unfold as it will. A key pursuit within my yoga journey. This is how we can get out of our own way, see what is, and be amazed by our own true brilliance. You will be surprised at what you can accomplish when you intentionally confront this.
3. Accepting that you are unique
It’s okay to compare yourself to others. Contrast is how we see the world around us. The key though is being mindful of your intentions behind your appraisal. Why are you looking at someone else’s yoga practice? Why does that person’s family life mean so much to you? Why do you care about how much your neighbor makes? These types of loose comparisons don’t serve you.
With intention, though, you can guide these thoughts to serve you. I believe that the quickest way to get further along in your personal journey is to learn from the experiences of others. You can’t escape doing the work, but this approach will lighten the load. Your Mind Body Flow Yoga instructors will always use their experience to navigate you along the path of least resistance, but your journey is yours. You will have personal obstacles you need to remove yourself. This uniqueness guarantees you will make some mistakes but they are your mistakes. What value is a headstand if you never fall out of it? Embrace your individual learning curve, milestones, and mistakes for this is your journey. Never look to someone else to tell you how far along you have come, reached or have left to go.
Keep in mind these three keys in the midst of anything new, demanding and exposing. They have helped me embrace my vulnerability in many situations and seen me through more than I can count.
As you prepare for your personal 108 Sun Salutations I hope that they provide the resolve, fortification and mental oomph you need to astound yourself.
Get the best out our your 108 Sun Salutation experience
Receive tips for getting the best out of your 108 Sun Salutations experience :
- 108 Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar)
- How To Do Sun Salutation A and B
- 5 Ways to Fight Off Doubt With Your 108 Sun Salutations
- 8 Practical Tips For Success With 108 Sun Salutations
Question: Have you ever done 108 Sun Salutations before? What was your experience like? If not, what do you think will be your biggest challenge?
