Commitment

We are almost at the half way point of the bender!  Time to bring our focus to commitment.  At the beginning, its easy to stay energized and practice every day.  You want to start out on the right foot.  After two weeks straight of yoga every day, its a bit easier to talk yourself into skipping a day, here or there.  Don't do it.  Stay committed.  You are in this for the long haul.  

Commitment means more than keeping up on your daily practice.  Think about your other commitments in life.  Work, relationships, friends, family... on your mat, you learn how to be compassionate with yourself.  You learn to accept where you are in your practice.  When you try a new pose in class and it just doesn't happen for you right away, you don't beat yourself up over it.  You give it your best shot, and you try again next time.  With enough commitment and determination, you can usually build the strength and flexibility to (eventually) nail that pose... or at least get a lot closer to doing it.  Take that idea off the mat.  Learn to be just as compassionate in other areas of your life.  Accept where things stand in your life and find something to love about each and every aspect of who you are... and who others are around you.  That is part of staying committed.  

So, commitment does mean practicing every day, just as you promised yourself you would.  But, it also means staying committed to who you are.  Staying committed to your self truth.  Finding the same compassion you use throughout your yoga practice and taking that approach in your daily life.  

Stay committed.  Be who you really are.  Love your life and those around you.