I had set a December goal for myself that I would make sure I practiced yoga every day this month. It's day 6 and I've only completed 2 yoga "sessions". That being said, I decided not to beat myself up about not following through...but rather, to view my yoga practice as just that. It is a practice after all - and sometimes it's not just about the asanas (poses). Judith Lasater had written a book called Living Your Yoga and in this small beautiful volume, she guides the reader with practical suggestions and mantras to enhance your spiritual life. There's a section in the book on discipline and her advice is spot-on: do what you can, go for quality vs quantity, be merciful with yourself. Wow! How many times have we beat ourselves up for something or some perceived shortcoming? And, yet we'd never pass that judgment on to someone else.
So, with that in mind, I am revising my December goal (and taking a passage from the book mentioned above) as follows:
"Inhale quietly and exhale gently, extending the very same kindness to yourself that you would extend to another in the same situation. Begin again."
