Tammy Cervantes Yoga 3.54

There are many subtle and not-so-subtle promises in the yoga world of a celebrity body and nirvana…the list goes on and on. I cannot say that these things didn’t keep me coming back to my mat and meditation cushion initially, but over time those reasons have changed again and again. To paraphrase a great teacher, I feel that the expectations of becoming a better person through these practices are a subtle form of aggression towards myself. I don't know if I can honestly say that I am really any better today after all these years but what I can say is that I have many more skillful means to face whatever comes my way in any given moment and I have much more acceptance of myself and others. Today what keeps me coming back to my practice is a level of self acceptance, a serenity and an ability to meet the present moment more and more appropriately than I never knew before yoga. Today, to do the next right thing is to practice yoga. And when I´m doing the next right thing, the celebrity body doesn´t seem important any more.