Too many weekends go by where I sleep in late and then wonder where the day went, and before you know it…Monday arrives. This weekend I made the effort to get up early and make the most of my weekend.
On Saturday I got up early and headed off to a Yoga class. I am not the best Yogi, but I always try my best to follow along and do what I can. I went through class and did the moves to the best of my abilities, which sometimes led to me just resting in child’s pose for a moment to catch my breath.
The class I attended was a Baptiste Power Yoga class, and during this class I learned about one of the 5 pillars of Baptiste Yoga: Tapas. No, not that kind of Tapas…the word Tapas refers to Heat. Not heat as in the class is really hot, but heat in the sense of friction created in going against poor habits.
In this class we were asked to choose one word for why we were at class that morning and the word I chose was “change.” As the class went on, I began to understand when I was overdoing it and I was not following my breathing or doing poses properly. I had found the Tapas in my practice and I reflected on my word…change. I then took a moment for myself, slowed down, and remembered that I was there to work on changing myself for the better. The friction and heat presented itself and I learned how to work through it.
This week I urge you to notice moments of Tapas. When you notice them, take a moment to recenter and look for opportunities to work through that heat and friction and work towards bettering yourself.