Self-Inquiry

Self-inquiry requires us to be open to discovering something we haven’t seen before, but we have to know where to look, and that place is within. There is always more to learn and more to discover about who you are-your strengths, flaws, fears, pain, habits and attachments. My yoga classes are an excellent opportunity to begin this journey or further your journey into self-inquiry and self-discovery. 

Can you become more curious? The next time you find yourself wanting to come out of a yoga pose because it seems too hard or frustrating, simply pause, re-center, and drop in with what's actually happening. If it’s a physical thing that needs attention or some modification, then take that action from a place of awareness. If it's a mental or emotional issue coming up, then don't act on that emotion right away. Just be with it because maybe it has something to teach you. When dealing with mental chatter that comes up on your mat, it can be empowering to ask yourself, "What if I just get curious about what I’m experiencing, and what could happen if I stayed in the pose instead of quitting?" By following your curiosity, you bring inquiry to the pose which adds another dimension to your yoga practice. Curiosity is a tool of inquiry that gives you access to discovery and to new possibilities.

Can you become more open? To be malleable is to be available for discovery. Do you move on your mat in default mode? Do you tune me out and move on autopilot doing the pose the way you already know how to do it? In those moments, open up and remember you showed up on your mat to learn something new, and that includes looking and listening in new ways. Try a new pose, try a new variation, and have a little fun with it.

As a student, I have witnessed how self-inquiry has further developed my yoga practice. Curiosity has always come easily for me, but being open and malleable has been a challenge. In my yoga practice, I found myself wanting to come out of poses, resisting, or having an opinion about a pose (or how many times I had to do it or how long I had to hold it), or simply just holding back. Once I started to open up to the process of simply being up to something bigger than myself, getting curious and open, my focus shifted. I noticed when personal preference was taking me out, and I found that I create my experiences on my mat. I put more attention on creating space within myself, listening to what was happening inside of me, and more importantly, not reacting and just being with it, as uncomfortable as it often was. I also got stronger, physically and mentally, with every practice.

The beauty of self-inquiry is that you always have much more to learn if you just remain curious and open. If you drop the ego, let go of personal preference and attachment, you will discover strengths you didn’t know existed, fears you denied, healing and many opportunities for growth.  
   
-MaryBeth