If everything was black and white, wrong or right life would be so easy, wouldn`t it?
In the fitness industry and also in the yoga world you often get told that there is only one way of doing an exercise or an asana. A lot of trainers and teachers tell you that, don`t they? And that makes me really mad, because that`s just not right most of the times. Like everything else in life you can reach your goals in a lot of different ways.
Well, don`t get me wrong, I do not want you deadlifting 250 pounds with a severly rounded back, but even that works for some powerlifting athletes. However, I still don`t recommend it.
Another example would be standing in Tadasana (mountain pose) with your feet closed. If you don`t feel comfortable you don`t have to stand in that certain way, maybe open your feet a bit. Still you are standing in mountain pose “correctly”.
I often struggle with words like “correctly”, “wrong”, “right” because what do they really mean? Who tells us what is wrong, right, correct or false.
Every body is build differently, hip joints, ankles, shoulder blades and everything else. Yes, our anatomical structures are all the same, but we do also differ in range of motion and joint mobility because of those little differences.
And so is everybody`s mind, too. Our brains are all build the same way, anatomically seen. Yet, we all think in our own unique minds. And as a result we make diverse decisions.
The same goes for our hearts. Again, anatomically speaking, they are all the same, however, when we think about the emotional heart our feelings all differ. And there is no wrong or right feeling. If you do feel a certain way in a situation and somebody else does have different feelings that is okay thanks to the fact that we all feel, see, think and act in our own distinct ways.
I think the most important thing about allowing us all to be our own true self ist that we do not harm anybody with our behaviour and our believes. As long as that`s a given just go for your uniqueness. Be different, act different and enjoy being your true self.
The same goes for making decisions, whether they are small ones or life-altering. You can ask your friends, teachers and people you look up to for advice. I do that, too.
But please don`t follow them blindly without thinking about them first. I know that your confidants always want what is best for you, at least what`s best in their opinion. But maybe what is best for them isn`t automatically best for you and your life.
We are all just the sum of our experience. Therefore our opinions are just a subjective accumulation of our experiences.
So you better have that in mind when someone asks you for advice and also when someone gives you advice. It is definitely a plus to have people in your life you can ask for help and guidance. But always remember that it is your path, your life and not theirs. How they handle a situation or make a decision may be right for them and completely wrong for you.
Same goes for your body, your exercising routine and asana practice. It is vital to have educated trainers and teachers who really see your body, acknowledging your needs and your potential but also your boundaries and limitations. In the end it is your responsibility to tell them when something doesn`t feel good because it is your body not theirs.
Put in a nutshell, there is not always just one right solution, one way to do things or that one golden path. Listen to your friends, family and confidants, think about it, make your own decision and then walk your own golden path, because it is your life and nobody else`s.
Stay wild – stay gold