calling all angels

It is very common in yoga class (as in life) for one student to compare herself with another and feel like the other student has a much better practice. Students get down on themselves, no matter how much the teacher tries to impress upon them that yoga is not a competitive sport! I have been there, done that. When I first started practicing yoga regularly, I was often in a class with another woman, who I will call Arden, here. Arden's practice was amazing. She was beautiful, fluid, flexible, tall, gorgeous. Often, I didn't even want to practice -- just stare at her. Sometimes, I felt as though I would never be flexible enough, or strong enough, or "good" enough.

But my perception of Arden's practice was coming from me. I later learned that Arden was constantly frustrated with herself. She, in and of herself, did not radiate "perfect yoga practice." In fact, Arden's perception of her own practice was so different. Just as my perceptions of Arden were colored by my feelings and emotions, so were my perceptions of me. My perception of myself as not thin enough, flexible enough, or strong enough were not objective and couldn't be. And in the present moment, those perceptions were causing me to suffer because I believed I should be different. I was clinging to an ideal that I had created for myself.

If I were teaching myself then, with what I know now, here is the meditation I would lead myself through:

After finding a stable, grounded seat and focusing on the breath, imagine that you have a sun roof on the top of your head. Open the sun roof, and let your body start to absorb the blue sky -- a bright, robin's egg blue sky, that fills and suffuses your body with each breath. See your thoughts as clouds that pass through the blue sky. Innocuous passing thoughts are like fluffy, white clouds. Difficult lingering thoughts -- like anger, self-doubt, self-criticism -- are like storm clouds -- and the longer they linger, the grayer and thicker they are. Remember that even though storm clouds can obscure the blue sky, when they finally pass, the sky is there, still blue and clear and pristine. This is a metaphor for your true nature. Your true nature is clear and bright and expansive. Your thoughts sometimes obscure your true nature, but it is always there.

Visualize yourself as the kindest, most benevolent, loving, radiant person you can be. Come back to this vision time and time again throughout your practice. Remember that the goal of the practice of yoga is not to have a tight butt and thin thighs (although that can be a nice side benefit!), but to prepare you to be a spiritual warrior. We are happiest in the world when we are in touch with our highest selves. And when we look at others and see them as their highest selves, our joy is unlimited. Try to spend the rest of the day (the goal is an entire lifetime -- but better to start one day at a time), seeing yourself as an angel whose mission is to make others happy. Try to spend the rest of the day seeing everyone else around you as an angel. See that every action they take has the purpose of teaching you lessons on the path to your own enlightenment.

If you decide to give this meditation a try, let me know how it works for you!