Keep ‘Em on Their Toes
There’s this great country song that recently crept into my playlist, “Keep Em on They Toes” – no that is not a typo. 🙂 There are various artists that cover it however, the original was written by Brent Cobb. It’s a great tune about living the life you want. I’ve played it several times now and each time I catch a new line or thought around it and it’s inspired this week’s Yoga Inspiration.
Is the life you are living the life you imagined for yourself? First and for the record, if I was living the life I imagined when I was 5, 10, 15, 25, and even 35, I’m sure I wouldn’t have predicted where I would be now. But are there underlying values and priorities that have led you to where you are now? I feel I always wanted to teach, but I would not have predicted yoga. Yet, movement, which is what pulled me into yoga, has always been a priority in my life. When looked at through that lens it’s not really that distant of a vision!
Have any of your visions given way to the expectations of society, family, friends? Or perhaps it is just those influences who have led you to exactly where you want to be! There are times when I followed a path simply because I couldn’t see another way. The beauty of growing older, for me at least, is I see more options and I’m more inclined to explore a path less followed. Here’s the great thing, that doesn’t mean I’m stuck on it forever! I can decide sway, shift, and find an entirely different way. Yes, some shifts take much longer, but I know I would rather move towards the lift I want, even if the timing of arriving is unknown, than live not having tried. We can all arrive back to popular quote “It’s the journey, not the destination.”
I believe we should take this zest into our practice at times. Forget the structured sequences. Forget the labelling on whether it’s “flow” or “yin” and just move and pause as it feels good for our bodies, our minds, and our spirit.
Let’s look ahead at how we can build our practice this week:
Journaling Suggestion: how about this week we take a few moments to reflect on the aspects of our lives we love, then the aspects we wish we could change. Ask yourself what steps you can take to make those changes. Along the way, notice if the ideals of others creep into to your choices. There’s not judgement on this. It’s simply an exercise to notice.
Asana Practice: The practice is yours to create this week! Find a space, music, scents, and maybe even, others, that inspire you to be exactly who you are. Move, pause, breathe. Forget the details of the postures. Finding it hard to start? Table Top with the freedom to move your spine, hips, and shoulders could be a great place to start!
Remember to always practice within your own limits and take care of physical and emotional well-being. If the practice of Yin Yoga is new to you, stay tuned next month as I will be helping you explore this practice further!
Wishing to learn more about the practice of yoga? Reserve Your Spot for the next 200HR yoga Teacher Training beginning September 2025 and become a Certified Yoga Teacher. We are ¼ full already. Looking for more details? Email stephaniepower.ayc@gmail.com.
If you want to share your experience with us, follow us on Instagram: @albertayogacollege
If you wan to listen to Keep ‘Em on They Toes you can find it on Spotify here.
With gratitude,
-Stephanie