The story of the three bears is more than a cute story about a golden-haired girl and a cuddly little bear. It offers a wonderful viewpoint that can be applied to many aspects of life.
Take the practice of yoga. Gardening season is in full swing, and I like to remind folks, as I am reminded every morning this time of year, yoga is for balance. Both too much physical activity and too little are equally debilitating to the human form. Yoga helps us maintain our bodies so that we can basically forget about them! Without all the worry over hurting feet, an aching back, or an irritating co-worker, we are more likely to be able to access our own inner wisdom, and that is really what yoga is all about.
When I hear someone telling me about some intense diet/workout regime they’ve just launched into, I am reminded of all the failed programs I started in my past—running hot and cold with each successive attempt, never finding the “just right” plan in the middle. It was jogging in my teens; Nautilus, Jazzercise, and Step-aerobics in my twenties; and weight training and super strenuous yoga in my early thirties. With all these attempts, I set myself up with a practice that was just beyond my capacity in the hopes of attaining the sleek physique of the model on the front of the video cover, book, or television program I was currently following.
I think when it comes to making positive changes, this old salesman philosophy is a good one. “Under promise and over deliver.” I remind the students who attend my weekly Wednesday night yoga class at Dream Mecca Studios of this. We cover lots of aspects of yoga, from strength training to flexibility and breathing practices, but I am careful to ask that folks not over-challenge themselves. About 15 years ago I threw away the over-packed workout calendar hanging on the back of my bedroom door and made this commitment to myself: I would practice yoga 3 times a week for a minimum of 10 minutes. An hour of yoga could easily be deemed undo-able for a single mom to squeeze in with 2 kids, a demanding full-time job and lots of yard to maintain. Making excuses for not practicing 10 minutes was not quite so easy. The cool thing was, however, I rarely just practiced 10 minutes. It felt so good the 10 would creep into 20 or more and I was able to maintain my sanity (mostly) through those demanding years.
Now my practice adapts with the time of year and what is going on in my life. In the winter, stuck inside and away from my garden, I can become sluggish. I need some good physical work to counter the many hours I spend hunched over my desk and guitar. In the summer, however, I’m very active with playing in the dirt. I wake up with aching feet and sore muscles. I need physical therapy, not more work! And so I do practices that rejuvenate my energy, restore my body and alleviate my aches and pains. Other times may call for this as well, when sick, injured, or overtaxed. For a practice designed with this in mind, check out my “Yoga for Travel” practice.
No matter your practice, whether biking or jogging or weight training, it is always good to stop and take an inventory of what you most need. Listen to yourself! Be like Baby Bear. When it comes to a healthy workout routine avoid what is too hard or what is too soft. You can call it if you only listen, and practice what is “just right.”