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Yoga Bits
Morsels of yogic wisdom and information
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Mar. 26 - Apr. 1, 2012
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How would you like to practice yoga each and every Sunday morning?
BEGINNING APRIL 15
KUNDALINI YOGA
Sundays
10 to 11:30 a.m.
Once a month this class is held at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena. All other classes are held in North Hollywood at the Love Your Yoga LA Worldwide Headquarters (which is really my studio apartment but I like the sound of "worldwide headquarters")
For complete information on class days, times and locations, please visit
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Perfectionism: Not a Virtue
The self-sabotage of expecting too much
"Learn to be okay without being okay."-- Guru Singh
My mom and my uncle have a story about their father, my grandfather, who died long before I was born. He was, among other things, a band director and he expected the best from his children in their musical pursuits.
The story goes that when my grandfather would hear the phrase "Practice makes perfect," he would say, "No. Correct practice makes perfect."
Yikes.
So it would appear I come by my own perfectionism honestly. But, regardless of its origin, it's become a stifling burden that  I'd like to release. Where does a mistake fit into that kind of thinking? It doesn't and without the ability to make mistakes free from penalty, creativity and growth are all but stifled.
For example, last year I began a series in Yoga Bits on each of the chakras. I have already published six but there are two more to go and I haven't done them yet. I've been writing on other topics and I've recently rerun a few older editions because I suddenly became quite busy.
I bet that's okay with you. I bet you, dear reader, had not really even noticed. So how is this a big deal?
It isn't -- but a while back I created an expectation of how I would do the chakra series and it hasn't worked out that way. That would be fine except that deep in the curled up grey matter of my brain, I am convinced that what has actually happened is "wrong".
A part of me knows that's absurd -- maybe even most of me -- but why should that perspective spoil my perfection frenzy? And so the belief that I'm messing up is constantly gnawing at me just below the surface.
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I must ask myself: what would I being doing with my time, energy and focus if I were freed from this preoccupation with perfection? I honestly can't imagine. But I'm no longer fooled that perfection has the kind of significance or meaning I have attached to it. I see through it and I'm not interested in feeding it. Yet, my brain can' seem to stop going there.
My yoga and meditation practice help me deal with this aspect of myself. I can spend thousands of hours and dollars working to process my issues about perfectionism (I have) but it will only get me so far. Not that those techniques were a waste of time. They simply are not sufficient to change this behavior. I need to reprogram my brain, my cells and my glandular system and the only thing I've ever experienced that actually helps me do that is the mantra, movement and meditation I practice regularly.
Yoga helps me with this issue in another way. Instead of obsessing on perfection in myself, in others or in situations, I can turn my focus to excellence. While perfection seems to be a fear-based drive that causes pain and disappointment, excellence inspires and elevates. Perfection implies an inflexible (and usually unattainable) standard that must be met at any cost Excellence invites me to do my best in any given moment.
Perfection says. "Edit this issue of Yoga Bits again and again until your sure there isn't a single mistake." Excellence says, "You did some good work today. Time to go to bed."
Just for this moment of this day, I choose excellence. Good night! |
 Why Reserve Online?
Because the online reservation system...
...is free and easy to use ...generates an email reminder before every reserved class
...gives you control over your own class scheduling ...allows you to make and cancel reservations anytime ...adds your name to a waiting list if class is full and notifies you if someone cancels
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The techniques and suggestions presented in Yoga Bits are not intended as medical claims or to substitute for proper medical advice. Consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program. If you are elderly or have any chronic or recurring conditions such as high blood pressure, neck or back pain, arthritis, heart disease, and so on, seek your physician's advice before practicing.
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