"When you go on a trip, you just pack a smaller version of Your Stuff..."
-- George Carlin
I was a George Carlin fan. His observational comedy held up a mirror to all of us. Sometimes it made us uncomfortable with his accuracy. His love of language and his awareness of how we use it resonated with me strongly. One of my favorites: "A Place for My Stuff." My house is a just "My Stuff in a large box." My car is "My Stuff on wheels." And when we go on a trip, we simply pack a smaller version of Our Stuff.
I never knew George Carlin was a Yogi.
But there is important wisdom in "packing a smaller version of My Stuff." And it's important for any Point A-to-Point Be Traveler to consider. By definition, a smaller version of My Stuff means I need to leave some things behind.
What am I choosing to leave behind?
In this 31-day yoga journey, I am choosing to leave behind:
"I'm too old"
"I've had too many injuries"
"I'm not doing these postures right"
The quest for the perfect or beautiful yoga practice
"Results! I must have results!"
"Who cares what I think? I don't have an advanced yoga practice?"
"What's this have to do with 2PointBe, anyway?"
There, my backpack is lighter already! It's amazing when I start to pack a smaller version of My Stuff, I force myself to start making choices.
My Stuff can be some heavy !@#! if I allow it to be. Old Stories. Others' expectations. Others' opinions. What I project others' opinions to be. I know I must leave it behind. But here's the rub: I need to re-leave it behind every day.
What's this do for my yoga practice? Especially these 31 Days?
In the less-than-a-year that I have been practicing yoga, Jennie and the rest of the yogis/instructors have let me know that the yoga mat is a mirror; my yoga practice reveals what version of My Stuff I have packed for that day. And what (if anything) I've chosen to leave behind.
Over the course of the next month, I have the opportunity leave sooooo much of My Stuff behind.
How do I take this "Off the Mat"?
My writing is perfectly imperfect
My parenting skills are perfectly imperfect
Comparing myself to others' journeys, others' opinions of my journey is like throwing a bunch of rocks into my backpack.