Practice, makes better practice.

There is no perfect.

In my yoga class this morning my instructor offered a piece of wisdom that really landed with me.

She said practice, makes better practice.

It kind of caught me off guard because I was expecting her to say practice makes perfect… what most of us would’ve heard in the past.

But there is no perfect. Not when it comes to the inner journey, or yoga for that matter. There is simply the consistency and commitment to showing up, and practicing. Again, and again, and again.

Becoming more aware, more attuned, more refined in our ability to do what we are learning how to do.

I speak a lot about this in the work that I offer.. this work becoming a lifestyle.. a practice… in the same way that fitness becomes a lifestyle, and healthy eating becomes a lifestyle. This way of relating to life through an embodied lens, becomes a lifestyle.

As meditators we practice sitting on the cushion, and then take our practice into life. We grow skills in recognising the trappings of the mind, the ways we hook into ideas, beliefs, meaning, thoughts etc. and how transient they are. We then take those learnings and respond to the world from that place.

As yogis we practice on the mat. We grow strength, flexibility, capacity for breath, balance and the ability to stay present with the body as a moving meditation. We take that into our days and meet the world feeling solid, tall, aligned, grounded, regulated. We respond to the world from that place.

As people practicing embodied presence, we practice in session with our therapist, teacher or guide.

We practice staying with experience, following it, allowing it, inquiring into it and growing our capacity to be with direct experience without turning away. We practice meeting ourselves in the moment. We then meet our life from that place.

We practice noticing our triggers, recognising our patterns, our ways of distracting, protecting, avoiding, reacting. Refining our ability to do so each time we try. We practice leaning in to what is underneath the avoidance. Feeling the absence, the hurt, the vulnerability, and choosing to stay. Getting better at being with discomfort.

Allowing our sensitivity, listening to our body, listening to the heart, feeling sensations… the breadth and depth of our emotional life and its relationship to the trappings of the mind.

As we practice these things, as we grow the skills and capacity to meet and stay with ourselves fully, the ground from which we meet life slowly changes.

We show up differently, more present, more aware, more embodied, more open, receptive, grounded, self-responsible, centred and able to be with all that life brings, and be OK.

And we keep practising.

At some point, with enough practice we inevitably reach a point of unconscious competence, having habituated to living through the body, and not seperate from it.

And yet even then, we are invited again into a deeper layer of practice.. meeting ourselves beyond the physical. We are after all, unfolding the soul.

But that is for a different email and another time.

There is no perfect destination or achievement other than being well practiced in the ability to be present with ourselves fully, in the life that we have. And if you ask me, that is a pretty incredible thing to work towards.

And it takes practice.

If something is stirring in you, please reach out.. I’m here to help guide you, and maybe today you might practice noticing what comes up for you when you are triggered, and what you do to mitigate the discomfort. It all starts there.

Warmly,

Maraya

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