A quick book review on Yoga Girl and the one powerful quote that helped me overcome personal fear.
My husband purchased Yoga Girl as a little anniversary gift to me since I had just landed my new job opening at the YMCA. Ended up reading the whole book on the plane ride home from our anniversary trip in Jamaica!
The book is composed of yoga poses, healthy recipes and inspiring quotes all along the author’s personal stories. I have not tried any of the recipes (I want to!) and I like how she gives a break down on how to do basic yoga poses with variations. It was her story though that kept me reading.
The author, Rachel Brathen, talks about losing her stepfather as a child, her troubled teen years and all the life lessons that lead her to her first yoga class. She talks about the evolution as a yoga teacher and her practice. She talks about the hard parts of life and how to overcome fear.
Yoga Girl is a great book for some one new for a new yogi by lessoning the common stigmas that come with yoga along with comprehensive descriptions to deepen basic pose knowledge. It is also a great book to remind you to take a chance, experience life and embrace change.
The week after our anniversary trip I would teach my first yoga class ever. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. What if my flow did not work, what if it was too challenging, what if it’s not long enough, what if they don’t like me, what if I forget what to say.. what if’s were flying through my mind nonstop.
In the book Rachel talks about teaching her first class she also talks about similar fears and doubts that I was feeling.
“If doing something new doesn’t scare you at least a little bit, it’s not worth doing” – Rachel Brathen
Those words reminded me that I am not alone in those feelings. Those feelings of nervous, anxious, excited.. scared. These are all feelings I should have as I embark on something new. If I did not have those feelings, would this new adventure be worth it? Probably not. Stepping out of our comfort zone is not easy but it is where all the magic happens. It is where we learn, grow and possibly become a version of ourselves we did not know existed.
While if you look at Rachel’s Insta account, there is no doubt she is a yogi even though I think the message she wants readers to take away from her book is yoga does not necessarily look or need to be one thing. Yoga is a practice of connecting the mind and breathe through movement. A place to become unstuck and grounded at the same time.
From reading this book I also took away two little mantras.
“begin where you are”
and
“do your best.”
I frequently remind myself that doing my best will leave no regrets but room for growth. I remind my students to begin where they are before each class, to let expectations fall and see where the day’s practice will take them. Next week when I sub a larger evening yoga class, I will be keeping these mantras on the top of my mind along with telling myself this something new is totally worth it!
