I started practicing yoga when I was six years old. My hippy mom took me to study with the Sivananda masters, and I’ve been practicing ever since.
Three years ago I took a 300 hour teacher training with my teachers Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman. My intent was not to become a yoga teacher – in my gut I just knew I found great teachers and I wanted to learn as much as I could from them.
Plus I knew it would make me a better Committed Impulse teacher.
A few days ago I was taking Colleen’s class and she said something I never heard her say before.
She said “Let go of the muscles in your face.”
Later in class she said “Let go of your identity and discover what is possible.”
Once again I saw how I buy into some idea of myself that is based on some ideas I have about my success and failures.
At that moment I realized that success and failure are really ideas.
If we are to be successful or fail isn’t that based on some ideas we have decided are true.
What if there’s a whole other realm beyond those societal guideposts.
What if there is just presence and commitment to creating fully with whatever is in front of us. That could mean making dinner, talking with a friend, walking into an audition room and offering our soul, making love, shooting a scene in a movie, or creating a business plan that will inspire our entrepreneurial spirit.
Give it a shot.
Let your face be soft. Soften behind your eyes. See what is in front of you. feel your breath filling up your lower back, let your heart center be open, notice the sensations in your body, and commit fully to whatever is in front of you.
Let’s experiment with letting go of who we think we are and discover what is possible.
You game?
Big Hug
Josh Pais
I absolutely love this, Josh! Look forward to seeing you in the Thursday class!
Me too – See you soon!
Big Hug back to ya 😀
Thanks, Josh! Cool stuff. Gonna use it to answer a call to step up way bigger today.
Awesome!
Well now… that felt good. Thanks. I’ll do that again tomorrow! And five minutes from now. And…
Thanks Josh!
Done!
…and done again…
…and so on…
Thanks, hugs and much love!
Llyane
I really needed this reminder. Im BACK! Thank you
Love the letting go of it all…identity, success, failure. Yes. It also helps me to stay connected to my mission/vision from that space, something bigger than me, identity seems to fade away.
Thanks for sharing this lovely story, Josh. Miss you guys brother.
Josh–this is brilliant. I’m totally committing to this–today! And I am posting it to my Facebook page. I am really looking forward to meeting and working with you in L.A. in February! Keep inspiring us!
I think I’m scared of that “whole other realm” – and letting go of what society deems as “successful.” I feel a lot of tension in my head when I let myself go there, like it’s going to lead to me not accomplishing anything. So hard…..
DING DING DING!
Man, life can sure throw some curve balls. Funny how they come at a time when we don’t think we can handle even one more thing. Beauty is we can. Reading this made me realize this. If we stop, take a breath, open our hearts, see what is before us only at this moment, and act from a place of love and honesty, it is astounding what the human spirit can take on, and overcome.
Flawless timing as alway JP.
Thank you
Is it Feb yet?!:)
One would think that by age 56 I would have figured out more of this “I’m Back” and “just stop and feel your face” or I can hear King my pug just “breathing” next to my feet. You just keep helping me to see me from the inside out. I grow just a little more each time I read you. Thanks Josh! See you at the movies.
Keep having fun Paul, and thanks for your inspiring words.