It takes an honest look to observe our selves without judgment, and then to do something about it. Observing without judgment is the practice of yoga. Doing something about it is the stuff that makes up your life.
Tara StilesYou take yourself out of the moment and knock yourself off balance when you judge and think about what you are doing, rather than experiencing and enjoying what you are doing.
Tara StilesWhen you are balancing perfectly in a tree pose, everything is easy; your breath is deep and relaxed, and your muscles are working for you just as you'd like. It's pure and simple. Efficient. When you are having a great day, the same things occur. Your breathing is relaxed, your body is working harmoniously with your mind; everything just feels easier because you are in a state of balance.
Tara StilesWith meditation, you become a sensitized superhero, completely in control, with endless possibilities at your fingertips.
Tara StilesSay you're doing a headstand. The moment you think to yourself, "Wow, I'm doing this pose!" is usually the moment you'll topple out of it.
Tara StilesLearning to savor the moment keeps us from living in constant worry and fear and tension over things that haven't happened yet and may never come to pass. Practicing yoga helps us to undo these bad mental habits and stress triggers that we often unknowingly pick up along the way.
Tara StilesThere is a big lesson in experiencing uncertainty and calamity with a sober focus - the most chaotic moments are the ones from which we can learn the most.
Tara StilesWhen we are at ease, our bodies work efficiently, our minds settle, and space opens up for us to connect to our intuition, creativity, and sense of connectedness.
Tara StilesWhy is balance important? From a life lesson standpoint, it's about learning to enjoy yourself without getting the ego involved.
Tara StilesA successful tree pose probably won't change your life. Learning how to keep your breath easy, long, and deep no matter what the circumstance? That absolutely will.
Tara StilesWhen we practice paying attention, whether in meditation, yoga (moving mediation), or simply walking down the street, we can choose to be at ease, or choose to be tense. It's a choice, and that choice is up to no one but us to decide.
Tara StilesAll the body's systems and processes - your nerves, your emotions - take instruction from what is going on with your breath.
Tara StilesExternal means of escape like alcohol, drug use, and even overeating are a means of pushing uncertainty away and covering it up temporarily. And they may feel comforting for a moment, but I don't need to tell you that eventually they will cause more trouble than they ever solve.
Tara StilesYour tree pose is going crazy and you're falling; and your leg is burning; and it feels impossible to maintain any sort of stability practice observing what's happening instead of getting wrapped up in the circumstance. If you can learn to be easy with your breath in these moments, your body and mind will follow.
Tara StilesEat like you love yourself. Move like you love yourself. Speak like you love yourself. Act like you love yourself.
Tara StilesEach full, deep inhale creates more space in your body and mind. Each long, exhale moves you directly into that space. The deeper you breathe, the more opens up. It's like opening a door and walking through with each breath. The fuller your breaths the more and more doors open on up, leaving you with the space to walk on in!
Tara StilesYou can fall out of a tree pose with ease, or with frustration and a sense of defeat. Just like you can take a spill in your life and decide to dust yourself off - with a chuckle or an annoyed grunt - and get back up, or you can stay down, lie there, and give up. It's entirely up to you. It's your life, and your practice.
Tara StilesAny of the yoga poses could be substituted in this analogy. How you practice is much more meaningful than what yoga moves you can or cannot do.
Tara StilesWhen your life is not in balance and you're struggling to achieve stability, practicing observation without judgment gets really interesting, and very useful. How? Because you can learn to distance yourself from the roller coaster ride of your emotions and circumstances but still enjoy the ride of life.
Tara StilesEverything we need is already there. The challenge is letting go of all our stuff in the way.
Tara StilesWhen your breathing is easy and deep, your body works efficiently, and your mind settles. That doesn't mean that your balance (in tree pose or anywhere else) will be perfect and your life will be seamless, but you'll be better equipped to deal with the wobbles and earthquakes that get thrown into the mix.
Tara StilesEverything you need to know is right there inside, waiting for you to tap in and discover it, and then hopefully do something about it.
Tara StilesYou are whole body, whole mind, whole spirit, all the time. When you experience all of you at once, anything is possible.
Tara Stiles