Practice Makes Radness

Ever heard the words yoga and practice in the same sentence? What's that all about? What's a "yoga practice"? Let's be real: It sounds just a wee bit pretentious (yikes) and the word practice also holds connotations of work. Working at something, working through something, getting better at something. Hard work.

But, when we use the phrase "yoga practice," I think we are hinting at something more, something very rad. Something very significant, and very, very hard to define.

All pretensions aside, yoga is important to me. It makes my running better, and there's something to be had on a yoga mat that I can't get elsewhere. That undefinable something.

But I would turn around and say the same thing about running, or the November Project, or learning to surf and swallowing an ocean-ful of salt water, or paddle boarding, or barre, or hiking, or kayaking. Or, all the rest.

It's not about any one thing for me. So, what is it?

It is the practice of being active. 

Today, it was back-to-back yoga and a 7 mile run. Tomorrow, I'm trying to figure out if I can make it to November Project and back in time for work (I think I can do it. And you should come.). And tomorrow evening, we will be paddle boarding with the sunset.

My active practice is fundamental and it is core. And, to me, it is rad.

There is a Zen proverb: Move and the way will open. 

A simple but very impactful phrase, with so many meanings. Shift, change, work hard, dig deep, transcend. But maybe it's just move. Move. Move more often, move big, move strong, move fast. Move. And the way will open.

I didn't always feel this way. But I do now, and I can't imagine my daily life, my weekly life, my forever life, without this practice.

So I will move and I will practice. And then? I'll stop and take it all in.