-I’m- Perfect
Posted: August 5, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: blogging, Body Image, compassion, cycling, exercise, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, gluten free, gratitude, happiness, health, hipster, hope, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, passion, perspective, pilates, running, trail running, whole foods, writing, yoga 16 CommentsYou are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful-
All of us, you read that correctly … All of us need to do better. To provide a little context, delicately pulling back the velvety curtain to reveal the inner workings of today’s post: I recently shared two conversations, with two dramatically different people. One person went to Bulgaria to practice yoga (for whatever reason) and the other just finished cycling across Iowa, yet they both shared the same message when they arrived safely back home:
The overpowering pressure to fit in with the “crowd“, undermined their true spirit and what they had hope to achieve – Loosely paraphrased.
…
Think for a moment how many people you have heard announce, particularity around New Year, “Yoga class is what I need, if I want to fit into a size 6 for our upcoming summer holiday!” or “If I had a lighter bike like some of the other riders, I believe I would had a better time out on the road.”
…
When I introduce the practice self-acceptance. Why is it seen as an insult to the other person? Why is celebrating life by banishing our self-loathing frowned upon?
Daily Meditation:
This morning I passionately ask to stop trying to fit ourselves into the world, and in-turn, making sure the world begins to fit us.
CultFit 
I’m trying to find my way around your site because I seem to recall, long ago, you posting something about Tough Mudder. I’m wondering if you could give me any advice on training using yoga, particularly (since I teach it and I can combine my practice with training…). I go for runs three or four times a week, around 5 km on average, so I’m upping this (this morning I ran about 8km, which is about five miles, on rough terrain, and had a swim in the sea half way through). I want you to give any advice you can on facing my fears, too, both because this trip has been set up for me as a gift, and one I have accepted, but with some doubts. Secondly, I’m a little afraid of some of the physical effects – of jumping in freezing water and my heart palpitations, of the tunnels and claustrophobia. I want to face these fears, embrace and welcome their company, but I find myself becoming inclined to paralysis and dreaming. The Mudder’s in Colorado in September so I’ll be jetlagged too, amongst other things! But all will be well. Thanks in advance. And keep on blogging!
Thank you for stopping over Lucy … Can you keep a secret?!? The reason I don’t keep things “organized” here is that much like meditation, these posts, my thoughts, are meant to be set free. If they resonate within you while you are reading them? Cool! If not, much like the thoughts that cloud our minds during the day … Just let them peacefully float on bye. 🙂
Lucy, you are going to have a great time and I honestly feel you have done more than enough already to prepare for your event in September. I’m going to send you an email here in a moment, talk to you soon!
This post just makes me smile. Some things happened this past week that fit beautifully into the sentiments that your post aroused in me. Thank you.
My pleasure 🙂
Acceptance -I think- is the very thing we need to free ourselves to grow and get better-seems like an oxymoron until you experience it. Acceptance lets me be okay enough with who I am and where I’m at to allow growth and change. In fact, I don’t think there is another way. Like in yoga, when we stop resisting…
Exactly! Each of us are walking, and exploring our unique paths in life and hearing my friends tales of their adventures helped to expose what I need to focus on a little bit more – mainly listening 😉
May your heart and spirit be filled with kindness this morning, take care!
nice entry. reminds me of the saying,….”Just do you, everyone else is already taken.”
Spot on and thank you for stopping over, be well today!
Thanks for your thoughts on the big struggle for authenticity.
… A struggle I often find myself wading through during the course of a day, a week … I can’t thank you enough for your continued support, be well today. 🙂
beautiful image – and your message echoes a post of mine that i shared again today because it just seemed so fitting. In a conversation I had with my uncle, he said: “You know, our children choose us because they need what we have. The most important thing in being a parent is to just be yourself and love them, because that’s what they need from us.” It’s the same in life. We just have to be ourselves – it’s our life work. And guess what? We didn’t come here to be perfect. We come from perfection and we’ll go back there. We have come here to live and love and learn. Earth school 🙂
Beautiful message my friend, I’m speechless … Thank you so very much!
I agree with Sara, that picture is beautiful!
I’ve never been any good at conforming, which should be a good thing. But I need to work on being at peace with my own weirdness…um..eccentricities. I tend to withdraw from people instead of putting my authentic self out there. I can definitely relate to your two friends 🙂
I believe we can all relate, no matter the setting or circumstances. To be unique, different … Is both bold and beautiful! I watched too many soap operas as a child growing up 😉
I know what you mean about having mixed feelings about self acceptance. We strip away layers and finally accept what we find…..but then have to listen to others as they judge our choices. Ahhhhh…..but that’s another step in self acceptance. Drat! The teachable moments just keep coming.
… And may these these teachable moments keep on coming. There’s so much yet to be discovered. 🙂