Dear Homegrown Yogis,
We are officially into February – the month of LOVE! In my teens and twenties, I loved being “in love.” Whether it was a boyfriend, a new book, yoga or a job, I loved that rush of falling in love with something new. However at a yoga training a few years ago, my teacher said something that dramatically changed my understanding of love.
A fellow trainee shared how she wasn’t in love with yoga or teaching like she used to be. She was no longer excited to get on her mat and teaching didn’t give her the same rush or personal satisfaction. I expected my teacher to say that maybe she needed to mix up her yoga practice or even take a break from teaching. But instead he told her if she wasn’t feeling love anymore maybe it’s because she wasn’t bringing love to what she was doing.
Yoga is sometimes tough on us – it challenges us to give up our dependence on external circumstances and instead asks us to examine what is going on internally. What are we each bringing to our lives? And although it may seem like the tougher path, it is also certainly the more empowering one.
I still very much love being “in love.” I have now realized, however, that although this feeling may sometimes just hit me, it won’t last very long without my participation in it. To have things we love, whether it’s our partner, our yoga practice, or our jobs, we need to bring the love. Not just once but every single day.
As we celebrate February, I offer up to you a challenge. Whatever it is you are doing this month – working, playing, having a conversation, or even just being alone – do the work to bring some extra love to it.
With all my love,
Rachel