Well, I’m Slim Shady…

Have you ever lost your mojo?  Your self-confidence?  Your aplomb?  It happened to me a few weeks ago. I was sort of drifting, more emotional than usual (and ask around, that’s pretty emotional), just feeling unsure.  This may sound silly to some, but honestly I kind of lost my pluck.

Slim Shady is a very inappropriate Eminem song from my youth.  From my pre-suburbia days, when I had the world at the toes of my tall black boots and was very clear of who I was, naïve maybe, but confident.

*Oh, how I loved those boots…

*Oh, how I loved those boots…

When I do get a little lost, I find there are three things that consistently bring me back…listening to loud, perhaps risqué, music; my friends who have known me since even before I wore those boots; and yes, you guessed it, yoga.

The other night, I was at Beyond Yoga for an “Evening of Inspiration” with Kathie Donovan, she was great (as were honestly the cookies after), and something she said stuck with me.  Very loosely translated she explained to succeed you need to have boundaries, confidence and be present in your own life.

Whenever people start talking about boundaries, I think of yoga mats.  Have you ever noticed in yoga class how everyone always gingerly steps around one another’s mats?  Even in a really crowded class, people respect the boundaries of your yoga mat.  No one’s asking you for something, or pulling on you, it’s your own dance space where you can just be for a moment.

*hard to tell from this picture, but she is actually on a yoga mat

*Hard to tell from this picture, but she is actually on a yoga mat.

Then, there’s confidence.  Now while I totally appreciate a good flow yoga sequence, I go ga-ga for holding a great warrior pose.  Warrior II (Virbhadransana II) is a crazy confidence boost; it makes you believe you can tackle anything.  And when in it “imagine aiming an arrow at your enemy’s heart”.  This may sound very un-yogic, but as a very wise yoga instructor once said to me “Maybe your enemy is fear, or self-doubt”…Aha, take that insecurity.

*Seriously, doesn’t this dude look like he could take on anything…

*Seriously, doesn’t this dude look like he could take on anything…

The opening lyrics of Slim Shady is “May I have your attention please?” While I’m not sure if Ms. Donovan is an Eminem fan, interestingly she too speaks about the need to be present, to pay attention.  That is yoga, learning to be in the moment.  When you are practicing yoga, you need to be present, or, well, you will fall over.  And since studies have shown the more you practice being present, the more present you will be, therefore the more you practice yoga…

I realize it’s easy for me to say all this, this week.  Honestly, I had to remind myself to unroll my yoga mat, to set some boundaries and crank some tunes.  But it feels so much better.  So, if you haven’t already, give yourself permission to do what you need to find your mojo, your pluck, you deserve it.  Incidentally, if it is listening to loud inappropriate music after dropping your baby off at Kindergarten, roll up the windows.

*Please keep moving children, that car is clearly not playing Twinkle Twinkle.

*Please keep moving children, that car is clearly not playing Twinkle Twinkle.

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