Pobody’s Nerfect & Angry Yoga – Yoga Challenge Day 4

Dictionary.com defines anger as the following:

an⋅ger

-noun
a strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong; wrath; ire.

Yes, this was definitely me this morning at my 6:30am yoga class.

Full of wrath and ire.

It is day 4 of my 30 day yoga challenge in support of the Power of Movement and I was angry.

I know this seems like a contradiction for yoga. Yoga is meant to make you calm and happy, to relieve stress – not make you angry. But that’s what I was feeling this morning. My body was tired from the previous days of yoga. It was early, my belly was hungry and I was not happy with trying to do a “slower” pace yoga to be kind to myself. Despite attending a hot yoga class, I was trying to take it easy on my body. This is not something that comes easily to me as I tend to be an “all or nothing” type individual. Go big or go home. Yes, another contradiction to what yoga is about!

I was actually happy that I was experiencing these emotions however. I was angry with myself and it needed to come out. It’s all too easy for me to keep everything in and let the negative emotions settle in my body.

I was angry that I had not been practicing yoga consistently despite it making me feel better. Angry that I have let my bad eating habits take over my good ones and now was definitely feeling the effects. Angry that I have not kept up with this blog and my dreams to see it grow. Angry that my body was sore when only a couple of months ago I was able to do yoga several days a week (in conjunction with running, weights, while also working a full-time and part-time job to boot!).

And then I realized: this is a great lesson from the yoga mat (that mat is so wise sometimes!). Accepting where you are at and embracing the emotions (while not always good ones) that come along with being imperfect. Being able to honour where you are at in life and on the mat (a very difficult task for me!) is a great lesson to carry forward. Having flaws, experiencing tough days and being imperfect is part of the beauty in being human. If life was all moments of pure bliss and joy, how would we know what those feelings or bliss and joy were, as we would have nothing to compare them to?

I am embracing the feelings of anger I had this morning, and realizing that I need a little more kindness, love and acceptance of myself lately. I need to focus on all of the amazing things I have achieved, and not focus on the quest for being perfect, what I cannot (yet) achieve, or what I have or haven’t done.

And so, I have started my day being a little kinder to me; being a little kinder to others (hello fellow office commuter – let me hold that door for you!) and having a little more acceptance and patience for where I am at in my life today.

And with my 30 day challenge stretching ahead of me – 26 more days to go! – I might just have a few more Angry yoga classes in my future.

Pobody’s Nerfect after all!

Thanks yoga! I love you.

love

–noun
a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.