I’ll start off by saying that I am a bad yogi. I drink. I smoke. I love drama. I love life’s indulgences, and I am constantly trying to prove myself to the world. Thankfully, I’ve learned techniques to overcome the pulls of desire.

When I fall into destructive habits, I eventually remember that the discomfort comes from chasing feelings or trying to cover them up. I remember that the only way to truly feel good is to address the source: the way to freedom is to harness my wild mind.

What I mean to say is that I’m with you- even though I am completely obsessed with yoga, like every human being, I sometimes fall off the path and need a reminder of what I’m doing wrong! And so with an abundance of kindness and compassion, I write this to remind you that you’re only one breath away from stepping back on the path of exponential growth. 

The real problem for all of us is that stress is an absolute certainty, and the world has us believing that the answer is everywhere outside ourselves. So we spend our whole lives trying to do things, acquire things, be somebody, have somebody, or somehow shape the world around us in order to feel good.

We do all this compulsive seeking to cover up the pain, and the result is that we become entrapped in a vicious cycle of more problems and more stress. We enslave ourselves to constantly seek the next experience, thing to buy, or skill to master, because for some reason, it’s not enough to just exist. We constantly look to the future for salvation, only moving forward in time instead of upward in consciousness. But the more we effort our way into happiness, the further away we become from inner peace.

Why do we do this? Because it feels easier. It’s comfort food. But when we stuff our face on Thanksgiving, we forget the feelings of disgust, regret, and yearning for more comfort that comes after. It’s not easier! It’s much harder. We spend half our life climbing up the mountain, and the other half rolling down, only to retrace the steps that we already made. 

So with fewer distractions in daily life, we’re gifted with an opportunity to stop attacking or covering the symptoms and address the cause itself.

The only way out is through.

I don’t need to tell you all the reasons why yoga is good for you- you already know. Yoga is the ultimate way to go to the source of problems, and harness your most powerful tool, your mind. Not a gimmick or shock treatment, yoga is the only true alleviation for stress.

The fact is that if you do not learn to activate stress’s “power off” button, the negative impacts will eat away at your life and you will die without ever having really lived. This may sound dramatic, but research points to stress as the root cause of doctor’s visits.

But despite all that we know, doing yoga is like quitting smoking- you know you should like your life depends on it, but for some reason there’s no motivation that overcomes the appeal of inaction. You say to yourself, “I should do yoga but [insert inadequate excuse here].” 

Stop enslaving yourself.

So let me debunk your excuses:

1. Excuse: Yoga is boring.

   1. Resolution: You’re attending the wrong class. Try a stronger, more active class, or find a more engaging teacher- someone who has an infectious excitement about knowledge, tips, and tricks.

2. Excuse: I’m not flexible

   1. Resolution: Maybe you’re rigid like the Tin Man, but do you hear people saying, “I’m not strong, so I don’t lift weights.”?? Use props and go easy on the stretching. Find your edge and don’t go over it. If you’re suffering while holding a pose, you’ve gone too far, and you're creating more stress instead of releasing it!

3. Excuse: I’m not the yoga type

   1. Resolution: Get over yourself. It’s true that the media projects a certain yoga character, but in reality, the students I see in class represent a wide range of demographics: men, women, all races, ages, body types, demeanors, socioeconomic statuses... If you are a human, yoga is for you, and if you let the stereotypical “yogi” take that away from you, you’re robbing yourself of your own freedom.

4. Excuse: I don’t have time

   1. Resolution: Wrong! Everyone has 24 hours in a day; how you choose to spend yours is just a reflection of your values. You always have time, you just don’t always choose to make yourself a priority. You put everything and everyone before your own well-being, and ultimately give and get less because of it. If you have one second to take a deep breath right now, you’ve done something great for yourself. If you have five minutes in the morning to sit and watch your mind, you’re going to feel incrementally better. If you have a full hour to dedicate to yoga every day, why not spend it on something that truly propels you into a higher state of being? The point is that you don’t have to have a lot of time to do yoga; consistency is more important than duration.

You can’t escape yourself.

You don’t have to spend another moment waiting for something to happen in order to enjoy your life. You have the power, and you hold the key to your freedom; when you choose to open the door, you’ll wonder why you ever hung out on the other side.

Start now. Close your eyes and take a deep slow breath. Repeat.

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Do you know of someone who needs a reminder? Please show them you care and share this with them :)