Dear friends,
An Italian university student made the news because she got her medical degree in record time. The toxic narrative that the media made of this left me totally in shock.
The student stated that she achieved these results because she never sleeps, as sleep is wasted time, and thanks to the absence of human relationships that allowed her to focus only on her studies. Media celebrated her fast success, hyper-productivity and abilities compared to other students, forgetting that such an unbalanced and unhealthy lifestyle is the best way to burnout.
Yoga teaches us that life is not a competition, neither with ourselves nor with others.
Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras (one of the most important Yoga texts) speaks of Ahiṃsā, the first and most important of the Yamas (universal disciplines). Ahiṃsā means non-violence, but can also be interpreted as not-harming / kindness towards oneself and others (people, animals, things, etc.). Ahiṃsā is not just about actions, but also about words and thoughts.
When we practice Yoga, we often want to achieve everything immediately, learn the most difficult asanas quickly, comparing ourselves to other students who have been practicing for longer or are more flexible or strong, or worse, to some influencers on social media. To me this is “Self-harm”.
Let’s try to bring Ahiṃsā not only into our lives, but also on the mat, accepting our limitations, practicing asanas without forcing, taking the time to rest and feel, not letting negative thoughts about our abilities take over and using some self-compassion. Yoga is a personal experience in which everyone practices respecting their possibilities. It is a slow and continuous path. If we are ambitious and competitive, the mind cannot rest and it will be difficult to find inner peace.
By the way, if unlike the Italian student, you believe sleep is important, there are still a couple of spots left for the online class “Yoga for better sleep” on Thursday, November 24th in cooperation with Sampoorna Yoga Studio. If you are interested, please click on the link below to finalize your registration.
All the best
Lucia
YOGA FOR BETTER SLEEP
Thursday, November 24th - 19:00-21:00
In this workshop we will practice restorative yoga poses that help improving sleep and we'll finish with a long yoga nidra session. You'll also receive many tips for preparing for a restful night.
For more information click here.
