Leave your Ego at the door
My previous post goes into how I first started yoga and a little bit of my journey through that, to how I like to practice in my body these days. One thing that I remember vividly when I started going to yoga more, after I quit long distance running, was a teacher saying “leave your ego at the door.” At first I didn’t think too much of it, but now it is something that I constantly remind myself of, whether it is with weight training, yoga, movement, parenting, ANYTHING. In the form of that yoga class, the teacher was referring to dropping your Ego when you get through the door, and releasing whatever happened in your day prior to now. It was also a reflection towards something I mentioned in my previous post about focusing on how the postures or movement or training FEELS in our body- not how it LOOKS. It took me a while to really embrace this, and it is something I still have to remind myself of. But when I can do this, it all falls into place and into my body and life with so much more ease.
Yoga is not about how long you can hold down dog pose for, or how deep you can get into that warrior II position, it is about connection and growth. And I love this because connection and growth are two of my main values in life. When you are connected into your body, and connected to yourself, you are so much more capable of growth. If the way you do a down dog pose looks different than the teacher or the person beside you, who cares? If that down dog pose feels nourishing, you are feeling opening through the hamstrings, and engagement through the core and shoulders, you are pressing through your hands and breathing, then it does not matter how it looks. The proper actions have been taken and you are working in a pain free, approachable range for you. You are moving with breathe, and that is Yoga.
When we are focused on a bodily aesthetic, or being able to lift X amount, or holding something for so long, we can often push past what our real limitations may be. This doesn’t honour our body. This is not to say that I don’t think you should have goals, I think goals can be a great way to see if we are progressing, getting stronger etc, but it's about finding the balance between what we want to achieve and still meeting our body where it's at. You also want to be able to recognize what your body's limits are and teeter that edge of some discomfort, but not to the point of overdoing it. Finding this edge is precarious, and if you are working from injury you know this can be challenging, so it is an even greater reason to release your ego around your workouts and movement practices.
Here are a couple ways I started taking my Ego out of my workouts:
Before I get into a weight lifting session, yoga, movement, anything, I take a moment to center myself and do a quick scan of my body. This can look like a seated meditation, some breathwork, or just simply making a conscious effort to register how and what I am feeling in my body as I walk into my gym. As I turn the treadmill on, I might notice I am feeling a little sluggish, or my hip is sore, or my mouth is dry- just little things to note and then I can adjust accordingly. If I am sluggish, I take a few extra minutes of walking before I start into something faster. I feel my hip or wherever is sore and I do some range of motion and muscle activations to see how that feels and if I should consider adjusting things further. I might need some extra water before and during, or put some electrolytes in my water to help be more thirst quenching.
While I am warming up, or even before my workout, I pick an intention for myself. You could do this through an oracle card type pulling, or just think of something that speaks to you in that moment. For me it can often be the same intention that reminds me why I showed up in the gym, or on my mat, and helps take my Ego out of the equation. These could be, I want to feel strong/ I am strong; I am here to be consistent; I want to move my body in a way that feels good; I am worthy of taking this time for myself; I want to move and breathe; I am grateful for my body. There are so many ways that you can turn this into less about the physical “I want to pick up X amount of weight” and turn towards “I am here to be grateful and honour my body where it's at; I can lift this much and work towards more if it feels good.”
I also recommend getting into a mindset shift around your workouts. I am lucky that we have a home gym, so I have removed the stimulus of “they are lifting that weight, why can’t I do X”. I recognize that not everyone has this possibility, so working on shifting mindset is a great way to combat this. Reminding yourself that your body is your own, and has different desires, and outcomes is a great place to start. Remembering WHY you are there to move your body, and bringing forward one of the intentions set previously is a way to see where you are at, and then just notice where someone else is at. Getting to the point of noticing what someone else is doing and think “good for them”, and appreciate that perhaps one day you could get there, and know that it is also okay if you don’t. Shifting our mindset, and bringing attention back to our own body, our own needs, and our own being is essential to being able to continue to progress and grow with less pain and less discomfort.
If you can get to a place where you are not giving judgment to your body during exercise, yoga, or activity, you start to enjoy and learn so much more within yourself and your body. You can start to experience BEING human, and appreciate what journey you are on, as well as other’s journeys. Comparison does not need to trap us.