I have been really aware of this quote lately--on the mat and off. We have been working on a bunch of projects around the house so everything is a disaster and the yard looks like something out of an old Sanford and Son episode. When I drive around town, I see dry, but well-manicured lawns and front porches and it can be difficult to NOT COMPARE...to feel that small bubble of anxiety and voice of criticism slowly surfacing--do you know the one? That voice that says, "Your family is strange and your house looks junky and you are not one of US?" I hear this same voice on the mat sometimes. It whispers and flashes images of people who are thinner and prettier and more athletic, and the joy I feel in practicing yoga and meditating begins to slowly deflate or my breath becomes fast and worried. Does this happen to you?

It used to happen to me ALL the time--before I found meditation, went to therapy, started practicing yoga and having acupuncture. It has been a long and winding road of forgiveness and shedding, and I am sure that process will continue throughout my whole life. I WANT IT TO CONTINUE, because that means I am letting go of comparison and accepting and embracing ME and MY LIFE.

So now, when I hear those voices in my head or see those images, I STOP and I BREATHE. I breathe in love and breathe out judgement. I look at my mat and my life as a canvas upon which I can create MY LIFE AND PRACTICE--no one else's. Just mine. If the life I create inspires or uplifts others to do the same, that is wonderful, but it is NOT my purpose. Mine is to create and not compare. Enjoy creating your life today. Namaste.