I’ve often wondered about my attraction to sunflowers. I think they attract me because they’re tall, bright, beautiful and come in so many varieties, very similar to people.
What’s the connection to yoga? Stay with me, please.
Yoga has helped me to stand tall and shine bright, like a sunflower. I came to yoga in need of dealing with my addiction to substances and my inability to think straight or sit still. Yoga has helped me with these issues and much more. When I was younger, I loved how yoga shaped my body. Now I love how yoga shapes my mind and spirit.
Yoga has been a discovery of self, an excavation of my true self.
Yoga Practice is for Everyone
Like sunflowers, yogis come in all shapes, sizes and colors. I love that so much of the yoga community has embraced our differences and I hope the trend continues to grow.
As a yogi who’s not skinny, I have sometimes felt as if I didn’t fit in. Most of this comes from my own judgment and self-image issues. I’ve had students come to me and say they liked that I was normal-sized.
Long ago I realized that we each have unique experiences that we can draw upon to help others in their lives. Each challenge I’ve faced has in turn helped many others through their difficulties and helped them to feel that they are understood and accepted.
So come to yoga as you are. Stand TALL and shine BRIGHT like the sunflower.
I’d love to hear your stories about whether you have struggled with these issues, and how yoga practice has helped you feel understood and accepted. How do you stand tall in your life?