Just try......

I began learning how to figure skate the same year I turned 50!  I gave myself a year!  It has been 13 months now and I have far exceeded my expectations about how much I would be able to do.  I owe a lot of it to my years of Bikram Yoga practice!  

During my year, I have really enjoyed observing the similarities of the sport of figure skating and my yoga.  Many of the things I love in Bikram Yoga, I have also found in figure skating.

FAITH, DETERMINATION, SELF DISCIPLINE, CONCENTRATION, AND ABOVE ALL PATIENCE!!!

It requires balance and flexibility, strength and precision!!!

As I look around and marvel that many of my peers are under the age of 14, I can't help but find myself being inspired by their strength and resiliency!!!  I watch them fall 10 times a day and they keep getting back up.  They don't get mad at themselves, they just brush it off and try again.

My younger self would probably have given up, watching all these amazing skaters!!!  But now, because of my determination I have gained, my awareness, my perseverance and because I know what it is like to fall out in yoga, I have kept going! 

My yoga practice taught me how to love and accept myself.  It gave me confidence and self esteem.  How?  I just kept showing up.  Even when it was hard.  I had to do the work, and slowly but surely I began to get stronger mentally, physically, and emotionally.  I began to see I was capable of so much more than I gave myself credit for!!!

I will say, while taking lessons, however, I do hear many of the same things from the students, "I can't".

​"I can't do the left side, or I can't do a scratch spin, or in yoga... "I can't grab my foot, I can't do camel pose, etc........"  So many times I hear this! (Myself included, LOL)

​You CAN!
You know what the coaches all say......"Just try!!!"  

It doesn't matter how long it takes, it just matters that you try.   Isn't that what you hear from all of us teachers as well!!!  Because we believe in you and this yoga!  

Just because I may be able to do crossovers in 3 months and another is still working on them after a year.......just like in yoga it does not mean one is better than the other.  In fact, the one that preservers, doesn't give up, stays determined, keeps the faith....is the one that gains the most......in my opinion!  
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Similar to yoga, figure skating skills build on top of each other.  You must go step by step.  Alignment and precision are important, so you don't have to go back later and spend years undoing.  You start with the foundation, for example locking the knee in Standing Head to Knee pose, then once you have that strong, you go to the next step.  

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Every time I started a new figure skating skill, I went through a mental process of thinking, "Ok, shoot this feels like starting all over again."

But as I kept trying and trying.....slowly I learn it!  It's amazing!!!



​Yoga is all about trying! 
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​You will get all the benefits.  Just keep trying and you will do it!!!

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Never give up!!