My Husband, the Yogi

"If your mind is empty, it is ready for anything, In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind, there are few". 

Shunryu Suzuki

For as long as I can remember my husband has always been a big supporter of my various endeavours (bless his heart). And yoga has been no exception. He's encouraged me all along to deepen my practice, both as a student and a teacher.


To show his support, he has even come to some of my yoga classes, which has not been easy for the 'tin man'.

An avid, accomplished long distance runner, his legs boast great muscular strength, but like many runners will admit-  flexibility is not his forte. So time on the mat, although valuable- is not his favourite way to spend an hour.

So, it was a big surprise to me when he announced he was taking the 30 day yoga challenge- to spend 10 minutes on the mat each and every day. Yup- everyday. We are more than halfway into the challenge, and I must say I am very impressed with his commitment. Each evening, no matter how busy or tired he is, I watch him head downstairs to his mat.

This week he shared how he's been using that time. I had given some suggestions earlier in the month, but in his own unique way, he's made this time his own. Very simply, he takes one pose, and spends 'quality time with it'.

What an awesome idea. To bring a beginner's mind to any pose- even one that has practised for years, is such an important teaching in yoga. Imagine coming to the mat with fresh eyes and fresh attitude each time. There is so much that can be gained. One could focus on tweaking alignment, carefully placing the body into as well as out of the pose, perhaps experimenting with finding one's edge in the pose. Or bringing the attention to just the breath, inviting it into the pose, from beginning to end. Another intention could be to take the awareness inside the body and to notice all the feeling sensations that come up in a pose.

There are a multitude of ways to spend this 10 minutes on the mat. Even if you aren't doing the 30 day yoga challenge, it's still a great idea to take one pose and explore it with an open, curious mind. 

You just might be surprised what you find out.

Thank you dear husband for being my inspiration.  You really are a yogi at heart.

Namaste. _/l\_