7 things my yoga practice has taught me:

The physical practice is what brings many of us to explore yoga. Maybe you bought a mat and did a video at home, or went to a yoga studio for your first class. Either way, yoga is so much more than the physical practice. It’s a conscious lifestyle that invites us to become more self-aware and awake to our lives. It is an invitation to know yourself better. To align with your values and take courageous action to live in alignment with them. It’s a path to joy, freedom, and the empowerment to create the life you want.

7 life lessons I’ve learned on my mat:

1. Being present takes practice.

We are wired to overthink about the past and the future. It’s a survival mechanism — our brains are always scanning for threat in order to protect us. Stepping out of this past-and-future wiring and into the present moment takes practice. The body and breath are our doorways in.

We begin to experience freedom (from ourselves) — mentally — as we practice arriving in the present moment.

2. Loving myself is a practice.

I am an imperfect human, and I always will be. When I fall out of a yoga pose, I am reminded of this. But I try again. And this is empowering. I learn to love myself through the challenging moments on my mat. I observe the way they help me grow.

When a negative thought arises, I practice curiosity so that I may learn from it rather than let it consume me. I can choose to not entertain it. I choose to feel my breath instead. I keep going. I love myself through it. The more I practice, the better I can love myself off the mat — when life gets challenging.

3. Balance is the art of holding on and letting go.

It’s impossible to just “let it go.” That term is loaded. But, we can let go a little bit at a time, and hold on a little bit, too. And that is progress. Everything is a process.

We can eat the salad one day — holding on to our commitment to healthier habits. Then, we can eat the pizza the next — letting go of it all to enjoy life.

Both are important. Find the right balance for you in the day-to-day.

4. The most important relationship you will ever have is the one you have with yourself.

Spend time with yourself. Get to know yourself so well that you are able to show up as your whole, authentic self to all interactions you have with others. Purify your energy through practice so that you may be a clear channel for others to see their own potential.

Be an example of fierce, unconditional love — by loving yourself first — that you inspire others to do the same. This will breed joy, confidence, compassion, acceptance, and empathy for all beings.

5. Healing is messy. Do it anyway.

Peeling back our layers, shedding old behaviors, and shifting learned patterns is the toughest work we will ever do, and the most rewarding. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to face our shit, acknowledge it, unpack it, choose what we want to leave behind, and evolve.

The empowerment we experience from realizing that we are in control of what we give our energy to is one of the most enlightening — and life-changing — things we will ever learn. It is the key to consciously creating our lives.

6. Creativity is a superpower.

When I land on my mat, I tap into it. And so do you. Yoga is an invitation to move your body creatively — in a way that feels good. To think outside the box. To invite in curiosity. To open your mind to new approaches. New perspectives.

The ultimate creation is the way we live our lives. This is something we are all living and breathing and creating every single day.

We are all creative beings. How do you tap in?

7. To savor the pause.

To feel my feet on the ground.

To stay for one more breath.

To look into her eyes a little bit longer.

To eat slower.

To linger when it feels right.

To know when to take space.

To know when to say less.

To know when to say more.

To choose to stay.

To choose to go.

To be with myself long enough to simply Know.

Because the pause is where we grow. It’s where we wake up. Where we take our power back. The pause is where is all comes to life. It is where we come to life.