Gems of wisdom appear everywhere. There’s always the possibility of encountering them throughout our day 🙂

This particular piece of wisdom was a gift from Steve, a lovely Californian we meet last month. We were talking about driving and I made a comment about the challenges of being on the “wrong” side of the road. In the most charming way possible, he let me know that there’s no right or wrong, it’s just different.

No truer words have been spoken that can also relate to our personal yoga practice. The ego is a tricky thing and it likes to interrupt our feelings of zen with comparison. How come my hand isn’t on the ground in side angle? Why can’t I touch my fingers when we bind? Why is their torso so low in triangle pose and I’m still upright?

The mind kicks in and these unnecessary and unsupportive thoughts come rushing through. We attribute a right and wrong to our poses – assigning an end state or goal. When I can get my hand to *insert location*, then I’ll be doing the pose right. When I can straighten my legs, then it will be perfect.

But that’s the thing. There is no right or wrong. And we are all different. My history, my physiology, my being is completely different to yours. So while I need a block to prop my hips in hero’s pose, you might be able to sit comfortably on the ground. Neither of us is wrong or right, it’s just different. We are expressing the essence of the pose in our own unique way.

Yoga helps us to be humble and connect with ourselves, so that we can quieten the mind chatter and let the ego go. Know that at Mala you’ve found a community free of judgement and comparison. Here you can practice acceptance and appreciation of your amazing being. Differences and all.

Is there someone in your life that could benefit from this message? We’d be honoured for you to share by email or online by clicking one of the links below. And leave us a comment below – what is your difference that you embrace the most?