Japan- a refocusing. Kaizen.

Traveling in Japan was a wonderful experience- I felt very welcome and never too lost! It seemed that everyone there had a sixth sense for 'foreigner distress' and would cheerfully walk me to the bank, direct us to the correct train, and use whatever English skills they possessed to help.

I was able to connect with my Japanese friend for dinner one night (sushi!) while staying in Tokyo. We studied yoga together in our teacher training last summer and it had been 6 months since we said our goodbyes in India. We spent the evening talking about what a positive and dramatic impact our teacher training has created in our lives, how things are forever altered and how both of us are wanting to return to India in the near future. ॐ

We talked about the shift that happened when we returned from India, trying to find a balance of our modern society and the teachings of the Yoga Sutras, the yogic philosophy we learned. It is WITH us yet TOO much to share openly and so we dance between this yogic lifestyle and the wants and needs of our culture + ego. We posses this culturally acquired desire wanting to be well received and accepted. Yet, to desire acceptance is to not find it wholly inside yourself- and isn't that the whole point of a personal practice? To be in the moment, with yourself, feeling THERE and at peace, accepting and dare I say loving ourselves?

The seed of acceptance grew continuously over the next week while participating in the Yin Yoga teacher training in Yokohama. I realized I had lost sight of the reasons I had fallen in love with meditation and this meditative yoga practice was exactly what I needed to refocus, to find myself in my actions. I had started to think the only way to feel the fullness of a posture was in perfect execution and had created a sense of detachment in my personal practice. It was in this Yin Yoga teacher training that I learned to accept this undulating wave of self-care as unending, to fully appreciate Kaizen, the Japanese practice of continuous improvement.

How can you receive the full benefits of a Yin practice?

ACCEPT Fully accept the feelings in your body, be right there with them knowing that if something difficult comes up, it's OK. Trust that you're going to stay with the discomfort and work through it.
RELEASE Let go of any comparisons with the person next to you, with your teacher, with your younger 'fitter' self, let go of all thoughts of 'have been better' or 'could be better'. There is no better, there is right now, and it's beautiful.
BREATHE in this moment. Each breath is a gift of NOW, of the present moment and can never be repeated in the exact same manner, time and place in your life- find and expand this space to which you're fully IN the sensation of breathing in your body. Notice the way your chest expands and shoulders soften. Let this moment happen and you'll find a power in focusing on the present.