As I stand in line at the grocery store, I can’t help but wonder about how much people care about their health. How often are we accountable for our daily nutrition?
Hang on, I’m getting ahead of myself. First, the introductions: My name is Michelle, and I am a certified vinyasa flow yoga instructor. Most of my life revolves around health and/or fitness of some sort. So when I’m standing in line at the grocery store and the woman in front of me adds a carton of cigarettes to her purchase, and the man behind me has bags of chips, hot dogs and candy, I think “Ding, ding, ding, ding! Ladies and Gentleman we have our first topic!”
Think of your daily life. Think of everything that you ingest. Starting from the moment you wake up what do you hear, see, eat and drink. These are all key components of your daily life at every moment. What actions do you take to enhance the quality of your life? I’ll give you a minute to think about that…
Seriously, think about it.
How does any of this tie into yoga? It’s funny, as into health and fitness as I was in my early twenties, my main goal was to be skinny. As long as I looked good what else mattered, right? I ate everything fat free, low calorie and low carb, but I also loved to drink, smoke and lay in tanning beds as much as my little body could handle. Only when I got certified to teach yoga did things naturally turn around for me. It was weird; I suddenly found myself unable to drink or smoke like I used to, and further with a complete lack of desire to do so. (For the record, I still love my occasional glass of wine or 3).
But something changed. I began reading about holistic lifestyles, exploring veganism, feeling comfortable in my own skin without destroying my body for it. I learned about the danger of some of the things I was eating and really seeing a difference in every aspect of my life. My relationship went from constant disagreements and fights, to having a ring on my finger. The biggest change I saw was a completely different perception of myself. I’m going to not only encourage, but also help you do the same. Whether you’re advanced in your yoga practice, new to the game, or anywhere in between, I welcome you to explore some changes for the better.
Step one: Practice Yoga
There is a complete surrender of pride and great level of commitment to take on a regular practice. If your not smiling about either one of these now, you will be.
Step Two: Follow the teacher’s instructions with an open mind and heart. Release your judgment of yourself and the people around you close your eyes and breathe. Let yourself feel whatever comes up. This can quite often be the hardest part for some people.
Step Three: Be present.
You’ve probably heard that before but Ill break it down for you. The people in line with me at the grocery store I mentioned were doing mindless habits. They were sacrificing their health without thinking about it. Always be conscious of your actions. Learn how to make food work for you. How different yoga postures can effect both your body (internally and externally) and the health of your daily relationships. If you use this information you will be able to go out into the world informed and make every day count.
If you go through the motions with the right intention, you will start to see subtle changes. You might not even notice them before the people around you do. It’s exciting!
– Michelle Walsh
After studying under Shri Yogi Hari at the Sampoorna Yoga Ashram in Miramar, FL, Michelle is certified in Yoga Thai Massage and teaches Yoga in South Florida, continuously raising the bar for both herself and her students.
Visit Michelle’s website.