Your Mat: A Small Territory To Feel

by Katy Brooks

 

That first big exhale when you land on your yoga mat? Absolutely nothing quite like it. One might even feel just as good in that moment as the moment of landing in Savasana. Why is it so good? The permission. The permission to feel and to just be! What a unique experience to know I can be here without interruption. And boy, does it feel safe.

Someone once asked me, “why do I cry in yoga?” I told her I don’t know. Physiologically, I’m not smart enough to know that answer. My best guess? Perhaps it is the only time throughout the day where you have the space, the time, the freedom to just feel. No one in your ear telling you what they need from you, how you forgot to do this, what’s coming up next — it’s simply a territory to just be. Although the dialogue in our minds never truly shuts off, inside the four corners of your yoga mat there is an invitation to be. In that space we can inquire about our own physical needs. This shifts into mentally, “What do I need?” Emotionally, “What do I need?” The more you foster the skill of focusing and listening, the stronger the relationship will be to helping move through the wide range of emotions (and motions) we all experience daily.

Here’s to the small territory that is your yoga mat. May you experience anything and everything that comes up, and may you learn to be curious about what to do with it!