A practice doesn’t have to prove anything
Does everything we do for ourselves need to lead to an improvement?
We stretch to become more flexible. Meditate to feel calmer. Rest so we can return to work with more energy. These are understandable reasons. But I sometimes wonder how much room they leave for the experience itself.
What about moving because it feels good? Listening to a sound because it holds our attention? Taking a quiet moment without needing to turn it into a better version of ourselves?
I love a strong practice. I enjoy effort, curiosity and discovering what my body can do. There is pleasure in a challenge. There is also pleasure in a movement I have done a thousand times, with nothing new to achieve.
Some days, I arrive on the mat with energy. Other days, I’m distracted, tired or simply going through the motions. I don’t always leave with a revelation. Sometimes I have just moved, breathed and spent a little time noticing how I am.
That, too, can be a meaningful practice.
Movement doesn’t always need to change how we look. Rest doesn’t have to earn its place by making us more productive. A practice can have value even when we have no result to report.
Sometimes, feeling the warmth of your body, enjoying a stretch or listening until a sound fades is enough reason to be there.
