You Are Enough!

We live in a judgment-filled world, and many of us have internalized that and developed hars​h inner critics. I work with my own EVERY DAY. She's already tried to tell me this is a stupid idea for a post.

I want Montclair Kundalini Yoga to be an oasis of non-judgment within the finger-wagging, head-shaking, who's-making-it-and-who's-not environment of these times.

I know that many are afraid to come to yoga because they think they're not flexible enough, strong enough, thin enough, knowledgeable enough, spiritual enough, or calm enough. Not enough. 

So, I just want to be super, super clear: You are enough! 

Now my judgey inner editor is telling me to stop going down this path because "You are enough," like all affirmations, can have kind of a sappy, new-age-y feel. It can seem like spirituality-lite. But I'm pressing on because that's not true. It's only "lite" if you skip the inner work, if you repeat it superficially without attempting to believe it. 

How to believe it? Learn to talk back to the voice of negativity in your head. 

I've told this story before, but it never gets old: a woman I know, who had chronic fatigue syndrome, was drawn to take a Kundalini Yoga class, but she didn't have the energy to do any of the yoga. She couldn't even sit up. So, she slept through all her classes... for a year. Eventually, something shifted or lifted and she was able to participate, and today she is a Kundalini Yoga teacher.  

She was and is enough. 

She is one example. But there are many more. There are students who are post-surgery and just envision themselves in the full postures until they heal. There are students who can't sit in easy pose and find other ways. There are students who are highly distracted and can't keep their eyes closed. There are students who find breathing through their noses difficult. There are students who don't know what a chakra is or what kundalini means. All of them are enough!

All of you are enough! 

Sometimes I worry that our "Keep Up" mantra leads some students to feel that they aren't enough, so I want to clarify. If you haven't taken my class before, I say "Keep up" (as do many other Kundalini Yoga teachers) in moments where we're meeting a challenge. And I think there might be some confusion around what I mean. Keeping up is not like Keeping up with the Joneses or Kardashians or even the skinny, strong woman next to you in yoga. Keeping up is asking yourself, what am I capable of in this moment? It's about weeding through the false messages in the mind and getting to the truth of your personal best. Whatever your best is... it's enough! 

Okay? Deal? 

When you walk into Montclair Kundalini Yoga's little oasis, please know that I see you as 100% enough. In fact, every person that makes the choice to step out of the busy-ness of life, to roll out a mat and do their best, to focus on their inner life inspires me. Each of you is an inspiration! I know I speak for Savitri, Kathy and Dharma, too. We accept you and welcome you as you are... Enough! 

My critic is telling me now that she was indeed right that this was a stupid idea for a post because I'm preaching to the choir. Many of you reading this have either already overcome the judgment/fear hurdle of coming to practice yoga or never suffered from it in the first place. But, I press on because I assume I've reached someone who needed to hear he/she is enough. I press on because I believe that we could all use frequent reminders that we're enough.  I press on because maybe you all could do me a favor and let others know. If you know someone who's searching for some relief but fears they won't be accepted in a yoga class, please share this blog with them. Help me spread the word. I press on to prove to myself that my thoughts and my words are enough. ​