Who Are You?
Last Monday while watching my guilty pleasure, The Bachelor (I know, I know), there was a scene with one woman accusing another woman of being one type of person off camera and another type of person on camera. It reminded me of this story a couple of years ago from a woman who followed her yoga teacher (not me) into Whole Foods and was aghast at this person’s behavior…shitty to the workers and jumping ahead in the check-out line. The woman eventually reached out to the teacher and laid it all out. You cannot be one thing on the mat, in the studio, in front of students, on social media and not be that in real life. Busted.
Do your thoughts, words and actions align with who you are in your heart?
The quote you are probably thinking of is originally credited to UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden: “The true test of a person's character is what they do when no one is watching.”
We will all most certainly arrive at times unprepared and unsure of how to react and respond. We might not have the time to do the research or ask the right questions or, for whatever reason, are not thinking clearly. And if we make the wrong choice or say the wrong thing, there is a chance that it was out there in the world for all to see. In a world that has become so polarizing, it is even more important to increase our collective awareness. And then ask yourself, “How can I be better?”
Consistently check in and do the work to clarify your values and your motivations. To ask questions and to listen...to listen with the intent of being moved by what you hear. Not to “act” interested, but to be invested. To dance in conversation instead of debate. To choose our words with care.
Time on the mat allows us to pause, move, and refine. I think of it as an energetic inventory. Moving the body in asana practice allows us make choices that allow yourself to find an equilibrium. More dynamic movements might lift your spirits and allow you to find a better mood. A less dynamic practice might allow you some space to process and to heal. Either way, the hope is that you end a practice feeling like yourself. Then, as we face the world, we present ourselves in the best version possible in any given moment cloaked in grace and kindness.
xoxo
JK
NEXT Sunday 2/14 Jessica Sandstrom and I are getting the band back together and team teaching my Sunday class from 4-5:15p. RED link below to join. We have worked together for years on team teaching and are hoping our Mexico retreat can happen in May. Check it out HERE and let me know if you are thinking about it.