OM Yoga Magazine – April 2019

om mind

Understanding the opposing forces of growth and contentment. By Stephanie Spence

W

hen we practice yoga, we are striving to

improve, which is a subtle aggression against

who we really are. We are in a state of

constantly striving for something more, in an

ongoing quest for something other or outside

of ourselves. Most are taught to ask more and more of themselves,

and society celebrates when we better ourselves. We’re called

winners. So, are you a loser if you practice yoga without goals?

Confused? You’re not alone. The physical demands of western

yoga send mixed messages to our already busy mind. So much so

that it begs the question: how can growth and contentment not be

two opposing forces?

Using improv

During a life-transition I became painfully aware of my insecurities

and was unconsciously hiding behind a mask of bravado. My mask

shielded me from a continuous onslaught of negative messages.

Messages that I received daily from the media and society. I was in

conlict with coming to like myself and yet, at the same time, igure

out how I could be the most extraordinary me.

So how do you use your yoga practice to unlearn the biological

yearning to strive to get to another plateau, a deeper posture,

another you, somewhere else besides the present moment?

I chose Improvisational theatre or ‘Improv’. It’s a form of theatre,

often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned

or unscripted. What does Improv have to do with yoga? Like yoga,

Improv confronts you with all of your personal ethos.

In Improv, I was taught to work with “yes, and...” instead of

Growth

Vs

Contentment

“he physical demands of western

yoga send mixed messages to our

already busy mind. So much so

that it begs the question: how can

growth and contentment not be

two opposing forces?