Why I practice

First things first, my outfit for the day!! I am liking the new fashion portion of my blog because it's forcing me to dress a little nicer!!

What might be nice is if I staged it a little better, but based on my post about my hubby yesterday, I get what I can get :)

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Another thing I've been discussing here is my lack of motivation to train. Yesterday morning, we had Wednesday morning intervals and the scheduled called for an out and back negative split. I was leading a group that had many different paces, and it was dark, so I tried to stay in the middle to insure everyone was safe. That forced me to run a little slower and I actually enjoyed it. So that was nice... I remembered why I ran and didn't push myself thinking I should always be running fast! Sometimes, I need a little boost to remind me why I run. 

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If you've been following my blog for anytime, you know that A Southern Yogi is not the original name. I decided to change the name earlier this year to reflect more of how I perceive myself. I felt like that name was more appropriate BUT as I review my blog posts, I don't seem to be speaking much about that aspect of myself. I think that is probably because 1) I use this blog as a diary of my marathon/race training and 2) although I am very diligent in practicing prayer/meditation as well as developing a more thoughtful side of myself, I don't know that I want to discuss all of what I find with everyone or do I want my blog to be so heavy and contemplative. I want it to be fun because that's probably what I am mostly, light-hearted and fun!

So why go there now? When I post about something, I typically like to discuss whatever topic is on my mind. Since I started yoga teacher training last week, and all that it entails, I wanted to talk about some of my personal goals as it pertains to my practice and really, my goals in life. In my late teens up until about 20, I was very unhappy and spent most of time seeking some relief through outside things. I still do that, but what the outside thing was has changed. In the beginning, it was through alcohol, food, shopping and relationships. As time has passed, it has been obvious that those things don't work so where do I go next. It was time for a major change of perception. I started working out which lead me to start taking yoga as a form of fitness. The thing I liked about yoga was the fact that it helped me quiet my mind. I have always had lots of thoughts swirling around my head, either worry about the future, or regrets about the past. When James and I first got married, he started his business and I had a lot of worry over financial stability. I was also in a place where I felt a lot of guilt about things I had done while I was drinking. It consumed me, and yoga was a way to help calm my mind. 

Over the last couple of years, one thing I've learned is that when I quiet my mind in the morning, leave behind all of my worries about future and past, I become available to listen to God. Through forgiving myself for things I have done, and learning to trust that He will provide, I can become useful to God. It's been amazing the amount of stress that I no longer have, simply through meditating for 5-10 minutes in the morning. And it's also amazing, how much easier it is to meditate when I am consistent in going to yoga. The biggest thing I've learned is that my purpose in life is to help others. That has inspired me to go to Africa, which I hope to do next year, to volunteer my time for others, and really just realize, I am not the center of the universe. 

So in a long post with no pics, that is why I practice and why I am so excited to continue to move forward!!!