Читать книгу Work In - Erin Taylor - Страница 8

PREFACE

The first time I seriously explored meditation and yoga as a way to aid athletic recovery was at a weekend retreat with a yoga teacher known for her expertise in restorative yoga. The room was filled to capacity and the people there weren’t messing around. The teacher began by acknowledging how difficult these practices are and the commitment required to access the benefits. She guided us to settle in and begin our first meditation. We hadn’t gotten 10 seconds into the session when I farted—loud. I couldn’t stop laughing. Even my husband—an incredibly good sport who was on a bolster next to me—shot me a sideways grin like, “What is wrong with you?”

As I continued to giggle, I finally became aware of a strong resistance to relaxation. It was limiting me. As a type A athlete, I had long found the concept foreign and counterproductive, and I was laughing out of discomfort because I was struggling to allow myself to recover in a meaningful way. This wasn’t a choice; it was a habit. I couldn’t switch gears mentally or physically even though I was at a restorative yoga workshop on purpose.

I tried anyway. And on the last day it paid off. After hours of sitting and daydreaming over the course of the weekend, acutely aware of the agitation of my stiff hips and strained back from my workouts earlier that week, I experienced a moment of absolute relaxed clarity like none I’d ever felt up to that point. As I sat, my mind and body were completely relaxed and at ease. I was overcome by a feeling of spaciousness—thoughts emptied from my head, and tension released from my body. It felt like I had “come home.”

That moment forever changed the way I perceive the practice of mental focus and physical relaxation, and it has motivated me to continue. Over the years I have found that the more I practice, the more moments like this I experience, which not only continues to fuel my motivation to practice but also makes me more effective in everything I do.

Whether after work or after a workout, it feels good to come home after a long day or hard effort. For me, working in is the same thing. It helps me “come home” to myself—relax back into my body—so I can gain perspective, absorb my effort, and regather my strength for what lies ahead.

I hope that you too will feel at home in yourself every time you work in. And enjoy all of the wins that result.