With one day left to my challenge, I met the goal! 30 mat practices (in class and on my own, that is!) on or before 30 days :) WOOT. It was nice to end the challenge with a Talikwas soft belly yoga workshop with Lucia Misa, author of the recently launched book Yoga in the Wild. Coincidentally, it was held at Ekagrata Sala, my yoga teacher Karen’s studio, where I first discovered yoga. Full circle, huh? :) Granted the last session was not the typical mat practice I get to do on a daily basis, it was a great way to explore the depths of the practice even more.

At the end of it all, I guess all I can really say is that I’m just so wonderfully blessed to have had fallen into my path the way I did. I guess it truly is a testament to things always, always falling into place.

In my other blog, I wrote about what I had learned on the mat through that 30 day process, and I realize more and more each day that really, my mat goes beyond those four corners I practice in. But, yeah, I do like having that physical space that I can call mine every morning or evening, in whatever studio or shala I find myself in.

I took away a lot from those 30 days (well, 29 to be exact haha), in all sense of the word. On a physical standpoint, I feel I am so much stronger and fitter (and, err, yeah, slimmer teeheehee). I have a toner body too! It was sooooo funny that the other night when I was out with a friend, she goes, Ri, your J-Lo butt is small na. MWAHAHAHA! I also realized (this is sooo superdidooper random but…teeheeehee) that when I go on my down dogs, I can actually see a space between my thighs now (teeheeeheee…random I told ya!). Yeah, they used to be much bigger. Bow. Haha.

What I love more than the physical strength, however, is how much of a stronger person I have become on the inside. Undoubtedly I still feel unhinged every now and then, frustrated by life’s challenges and hurt by many many things, but I think because of my time on the mat, I have taken away so much more courage and strength, as well as trust in myself and in others, that allow me to respond in a more appropriate manner. *happy sigh*

I have gained so many insights and realizations through the practice and I guess if I wrote them all down here it would take forever, but for a few key points, here are the things I have learned that mean oh so very much to me:

  • Patience is key, even if I feel I don’t need it.
  • Sometimes saying “I can’t” is the best answer after all.
  • Pushing yourself to some degree has it’s value but being too hard on yourself is just insane.
  • Taking care of yourself first doesn’t make you selfish
  • No matter how hard you try, sometimes there are really just no solutions to things…it’s just the way it is, so make do with what you’ve got, adapt and live with it instead of fighting too hard
  • Despite all your best intentions and careful control, things will only fall into place at the right time and in ways you may never anticipate
  • There is always, always more “space” to found in whatever situation you are faced with.
  • There is really so much more to breathing than just inhaling and exhaling. And there is so much power in it.

Like I said, I can go on forever, but if there’s one thing I have learned to love most through yoga it’s the realization that indeed, most often than not, there is much more said in silence and without any words at all. So I leave it at that :)

Namaste.