We talk a lot about releasing expectations when we come to our yoga mat. "Release expectation of yourself today."  In a Vinyasa class, that can be achieved because each class is different; like an organic dance with a theme to guide it. Still, there needs to be a conscious effort made to remind us to release expectation.  We are so used to expecting so much from ourselves off our mat, why not on it right?  In a Bikram class, it's a little more difficult to release expectation.  Your mind is saying, "Today I am going to lock that knee and balance!"  And then what happens when you don't?  Disappointment and suffering.  Then the mind begins going....

"Am I ever going to balance?  Why can't I balance?  What should I make for dinner tonight?"  One thought spirals to the next and all of a sudden, our practice is gone.

Let's relate expectation to any circumstance off the mat.  Pick one - any one.  Any circumstance that you held an expectation to the end result.  Countless circumstances in our day-to-day offer us the opportunity to attach an expectation to the outcome.

Need examples?

How about when you brought home flowers for your girlfriend?  Or bought a new bike that you were excited about?  Or you wore a new outfit?  Got your hair done differently?  Applied for a job?  Told someone that you loved them?  I could go on and on for days....you get the picture.  Before reading on - find one of your own that means something personal to you.

But what if we released that expectation?  What if we just did things without expectation?  Just for our own personal joy?  What if we just did what we did and didn't expect anything from anyone?  Or better yet, what if we lived life not expecting life to GIVE anything to us?  We just lived....what would that look like?

Boundless - blissful - enjoyable - lovely.....

Does that mean we have to be passive to the events that take place in our lives?  No - it just means that we can allow life to happen without attaching to what we think should or should not be in any given moment.

Our nature is to expect, but that's our ego nature - not our spirit.  As humans we are taught to expect...we don't come into this world expecting anything - we just are.  Expecting is learned and defined for us by people who are important to us:  parents, teachers, siblings, friends.