Community, Authenticity, Kindness
In January 2022, I completed Yoga Teacher Training (YTT). I simply cannot fit all my learnings and revelations on one page but I can jot down the primary transformative elements that have impacted my life for the greater good. I can’t thank the faculty at Yoga Lyfe (Denise, Lisa and Amelia) enough. From the bottom of my heart to yours I thank you every day.
1. The Importance of Community
What does community mean to me? To put simply, it's love for others. I discovered that being part of something that is greater than myself created unity and connection. We all want to feel love, support and encouragement and that, I felt. During the Melbourne lockdown and throughout the yoga teacher training there were challenging and painful moments. Through a safe space and a container of non-judgement I couldn't help but cry and be vulnerable which allowed me to find commonalities through sharing my struggles with the YTT community. Sharing the good, the bad and the ugly gave me gifts of laughter, joy and gratitude. I found a sense of belonging and I found my tribe.
2. Authenticity and Acceptance
Showing up just as me and all of me has been one of the most confronting things I’ve had to do. For a long time I wasn’t my authentic self; I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin. I was critical, judgemental and at times overly hard on myself. As a result I was mirroring what I thought people wanted and expected to see. Digging deeper through yoga has transformed my relationship with myself and helped me accept myself as I am. The more I let go of what others thought of me, the more aligned with my purpose I felt/feel. It didn’t happen overnight, it’s a daily practice but right now I feel lighter and free. I am expressive in MY unique way and I’m finally OK with it. The more I speak my truth, and be Chrystal, the more intentional and purposeful I am.
3. Loving-Kindness and Compassion
My journey to cultivating compassion has been a challenging one. Earlier I mentioned the inner critic in my head which caused a lot of self sabotage and self doubt that I am ‘not good enough’. From academic expectations, self body image to career aspirations I’ve always found it difficult to be proud and love myself. Expressing kindness to myself was never natural, however through practicing mindful self compassion and loving-kindness I have began to understand that the power to love was always within me. I just didn't know how to express it.
What helped? Loving-Kindness meditation, and finding ease and softness through asana (poses) as well as my new daily ritual – placing my hand on my heart and a simple whisper of ‘you ARE good enough’. Whenever I make a mistake or don’t ‘achieve’ what I set out, instead of judging myself and thinking I’ve failed, I simply say I did my best and if that is all I can give, then that is good enough.
Belonging in community, authenticity, loving kindness and compassion continue to contribute to my overall happiness, life satisfaction, motivation, relationships, and physical health. I find myself embracing imperfections and loving the parts that sometimes felt difficult to love. It’s not easy, but that’s why we call it a yoga a practice. A daily practice for me.
My personal development and growth of course is an ever-expanding and evolving journey. I know it doesn't end here, in fact it’s only the beginning, but I’m bloody excited to see where my practice takes me. If I can offer any advice from one yogi to another – explore community, be authentic, be kind to yourself and others and I promise you life will feel immensely richer and better in so many ways.
With loving-kindness,
Join Chrystal every week for sweet (maybe sweaty) flow class on Saturdays 4:00PM