"...taking a new step always begins from the central, foundational core of the body, a body we have neglected, beginning well means seating ourselves in the body again, catching up with ourselves and the person we have become since we last tried to begin."
David Whyte - Beginning
The act of beginning anything is both simple and tricky at the same time. Waiting for the right moment, wanting to feel a certain way, delaying it for tomorrow… Fearing that if we begin we will not be able to sustain it, we will fail in some way, let ourselves or others down… or we may prioritise other things, other people. So, beginning is not just the act of taking the first step; it is also noticing what automatic thinking and body patterns show up as we do. What is the story we tell ourselves? What expectations do we have?
The David Whyte poem, Beginning understands this beautifully. The first step is noticing these patterns and bringing understanding to them - that we all have tricky brains that get caught up in mind-body loops shaped by our experiences. It is not our fault - our brains love a pattern so that it can be laid down and become habitual, become automatic. As we get curious and notice, we can see these patterns from a different vantage point. We can start to see how it plays out; we can begin to become familiar with it. We can expand our attention from our mind back into our body and learn that we can find a grounding presence within our centre. Finding our center and exploring what this means can take time because it is not a thinking thing but a body thing. From here, and with practice, we can give ourselves grace and view ourselves through a lens of compassion. Here we can find the choice to begin and begin again and again. We can gain a different relationship with beginning. Can we see this as part of the learning process where we can embrace the unknown and know that we will find a way through whatever happens.
In our yoga practice, we can explore each inhale and exhale as a new beginning. We can pause and come back to a movement again and again, each time learning something new. We can also reframe what it means to practice yoga. Is it enough to explore one child’s pose? While sitting, can we find length in our spine alongside a grounded breath, or maybe gently move the neck from side to side when we notice tension building?
There are understandable things that get in the way of rolling out our mat and beginning… We both know this so well! This is all part of the practice.
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