Surrender is Freedom
Someone asked me the other day why do I keep doing yoga...great question. It's because
Surrender is Freedom.
It's because I'm getting the sensation I'm burning through all my stored up emotions that are in my body in all my joints and ligaments. In poses, surrender to the movement, the stretch is freedom into the expression of the pose. Freedom into new ways of moving, new strength, new pain-free activities like running.
And it's a reaaalll challenge to keep showing up and keep doing it. It's painful and tough and not very fun some days. Most days even. It's a daily confrontation - I come up against my resistances to stretch or fear of falling over and then look at what's underneath of that. It's fears about trusting myself, believing in myself, weakness to mentally focus and follow through. And surrendering to seeing these fears/doubts/weaknesses brings freedom from them.
Someone else said to me that maybe yoga is a way to grace. Maybe yoga is an inhibition of the modifications of the mind. Freedom from the modifications of the mind.
A few weeks ago I made a commitment to yoga to 6 days a week. I have been getting up at 5 every week day to do it. I love the benefits of committing to challenging things and facing the question of how does this new commitment fit into my life. And surrendering to the necessary changes; going to bed earlier, diet changes, sleeping more, modifying my triathlon training. And in that surrender to the daily commitment is freedom to be dedicated to the practice. When I get done with my practice, I always feel a lightness that wasn't there before.
Someone responded to me about this: "You're challenging yourself and that isn't all that common. I think most people haven't learned the skill set required to push themselves beyond what they like. They like comfort, predictability, sugar, soft, 70 degrees, cheap, safe..."
I would add to that, rounded, dulled down, hazy, blatantly ignoring....that's somehow the sense I get of the alternative life that I could be in if I wasn't being committed to this.
And I see humanity with a trend toward the comfortable, sugary, 90% effort lifestyle....
It's really something that calls my heart. To share with people that life can be 100%, sharp, crisp, refreshing, invigorating, uncomfortable. And that space is actually rewarding! That in discomfot and commitment and hardwork and...
Surrender is Freedom.
Create that Surrender is Freedom in your life. Let the freedom in.