Approach your Practice With a Beginner Mind

Approach your practice with a beginner mind, a sense of playfulness, or experimentation. When we're young, we do things just to see what might happen, or just because it's fun. As we grow older, we decide that we "know" what to do or why we do something. Instead, when you step on your mat, each time you step on your mat, imagine it's the first time. Instead of moving into a forward fold, notice what happens if you hinge at the hips and come forward. What muscles work? What muscles stretch? How does it feel? Instead of "knowing", feel what happens when the body moves in this way or that way. Allow your practice to become an experiment. How do you feel when your toes turn out, your knee bends, your arms raise level to your shoulders? Is there a difference between that and "moving into warrior"? Remember that your practice is more about being present in the moment, connecting your mind to your body, your body and mind to your breath, than about how many, or which poses you can "do". Can you be more playful in your pose? Don't concern yourself with how you look, or if it seems silly, of course it's stilly! Since when is it necessary to have your shoulder behind your knee? It's not, don't worry about it! Move in that direction, and see what happens! If you never get there, it doesn't matter! I love the quote that "yoga is not about touching your toes, it's about what you learn on the way down." What can you learn from your practice today?