I believe that variety is the spice of life. I'm a big fan of the sampler platter. No matter how delicious a meal is, I don't want to eat it again tomorrow night. As much as I may love a song, if I play it too much, I will get tired of it. I believe you can have too much of a good thing. And so, I need some variety in my yoga. I like to experiment with new styles, try multiple teachers, and go to different classes depending on my mood.
Saying you like yoga is almost like saying you like music. What kind do you like? Have you only tried one? Maybe there's more to love. There are so many options. There are different schools to follow, including Kundalini, Ashtanga, Anusara, Vinyasa, Iyengar, and more. There are variations in style, speed and level of challenge, such as Hot, Gentle, Restorative, and so on. Consider that more than one kind of yoga, class or teacher might inspire you and invigorate your practice.
In my own journey of yoga, I started with Kundalini. At the time, that was all I knew of yoga, and I loved it. Then I branched out and found an Ashtanga class. That was an interesting new challenge. Since then I've been open to the yoga that's been available to me. I'm lucky enough to have a pretty broad spectrum of classes available where I live so that I can pick based on the times that fit my schedule and my mood or need at the time.
Sometimes I'm in the mood to be challenged and to have a teacher urge me out of my comfort zone. Other times I need someone to give me permission to slow down and be kind to myself and my body. Once in a while I need a teacher to question my understanding so that I can see or experience something in a new way. I might have the opportunity to choose a class and teacher that I know will provide just the kind of yoga I think I need that day, and other times I just pick a new teacher to try or attend whatever class fits my schedule. Either way, I enjoy the variety, spicing up my practice, keeping my mind open and my body challenged.
In the same way that no single food can fully satisfy or nourish us for a sustained period of time, no single approach to yoga is likely to serve a person for a lifetime. If we all survived on the first food we ate and never tried anything else, we might all be eating pureed peas for dinner tonight instead of the multitude of delicious options we have, anything from sushi to pizza, lentil soup to filet mignon, and beyond.
I know there are some people that try vanilla ice cream and love it so much that they see no reason to ever try another flavor. There is the Ashtanga school of yoga, which follows set series of yoga poses that students are to practice every day, improving and moving further through the series over time. I appreciate that there is value in dedication and consistency.
But if you reach a point when you find your yoga practice has become bland, consider spicing it up with a little variety. Try a new teacher that is trained in the same school that you've been practicing or try a different style of class by a favorite teacher. Seek out a new yoga style or studio near home, or travel to participate in a yoga retreat in a new place. You might find that there's even more about yoga to love.
Wendy P. Kelly has been mostlyyoga.com practicing yoga since 1999 and has become certified yoga instructor teaching public and private classes on Hilton Head Island, SC. Wendy has a strong belief in the power of yoga and fitness to create positive change. She shares her knowledge and experiences through her website at mostlyyoga.com MostlyYoga.com.
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