Good Practice? Bad Practice?
Yoga practice offers us a beautiful opportunity to cultivate presence and an open heart. However, if we are not clear in our intention and steadfast in our resolve to stay present, the mind will wander. And when it wanders it can strengthen some of our negative habitual patterns leading to more suffering. One such pattern is the habit of judging ourselves and others instead of just being with our present moment experience. It is not uncommon to hear yoga practitioners talking about having a “good practice” or a “bad practice” or comparing themselves to some absolute standard or to other practitioners or to themselves on a day when they were more flexible or not injured. This judging only strengthens the habit of judging. And when we strengthen the habit of judging we tend to become more judgmental of ourselves and others. Further, it takes us out of our practice. Strengthening our judging mind is a recipe for misery because this quality of mind separates us from others and often leads to self or other-denigration and/or self-righteousness. Wherever you are in the practice is the practice for you. Give up all striving and harshness and judgment. Delight in your practice! Be grateful for the chance to breathe and move with awareness. And know that what you realize on the mat will carry out into your daily life. Your life is an indivisible whole. The basic instruction is this: whenever the judging mind arises, just label it “thinking” and come back to the breath (with a “fierce tenderness” but without judgment ). In this way you will be sowing the seeds of presence while becoming less judgmental and intolerant over time. When you are done with your practice don’t judge it as “good” or “bad”. Instead ask yourself: “was I present?”
