5 Ways My Cat Inspires My Yoga Practice

If you're a yogi with pets, you probably know that your home practice rarely involves only you.

I've compiled a few ways my feline friend has inspired me and helped me to break free from an overly-controlled practice.

1. She doesn't take herself seriously.

One of my greatest challenges in yoga (and life) is letting go of my ego. More often than not, I have to be reminded to soften my shoulders, to relax my face. Even in a gentler class, I become so concerned with looking a certain way or with keeping up with the other students in class that my practice becomes strained.

Cats have an acute sense of playful self-awareness. They worry less about the outcome or the consequences of tackling a crumpled piece of paper at full speed and, instead, fully inhabit the moment of the leap.

We, as humans, have the added ability to laugh at ourselves. If you slip out of your Crow Pose and land flat on your face, go ahead and laugh. Shake it off and remember that most moments in life are unnecessarily taken too seriously.

2. Speaking of falling....

Granted, we might not have the same kind of land-on-your-feet agility that cats do, but far too often we avoid the things in a practice that make us uncomfortable.

Cats are cautious when a situation warrants it but are not inclined to run from a challenge.

Often, my natural inclination is to be anxious about trying new things. For a long time, it kept me from trying most inversions and balances, and even when I tried them, it kept me from having fun.

My cat teaches me that not every attempt will be successful or even graceful, and that even if we don't land on our feet if we fall, we get back up and try again.

3. She's spontaneous.

In this society, we are prone to getting trapped in the cycles of planned living. Most people feel as though there isn't enough time in a day to get everything done, let alone do anything on a whim. Practices can begin to feel stale as yogis become less engaged doing the same routine day after day.

Instead of hitting the studio after work per usual, try a lunchtime practice or even spring for a sunrise yoga class. Intuition and spontaneity can get drowned out by the noise and chaos of the world, but, as cats show us, it's there and it can revive your practice.

Spontaneity comes from trust in your intuition. Intuition requires you to get out of your own way and trust what your body tells you.

4. She rests when she needs to.

Cats know when to put down the toy and curl up to recharge. It took me a long time to learn to appreciate rest in my practice.

In this 21st century world, we have been trained to move from task to task without break and that this is what it means to be productive. We confuse well-earned rest with laziness. We tend to undervalue or even feel guilt over a moment taken for oneself between tasks.

Cats understand that their work (or play) becomes less effective if they are tired, so they make rest one of their top priorities.

When I began my practice, I exclusively went to power flows. I loved the feeling of completely draining my body and learned to feel a deep sense of relaxation after sweating on the mat for ninety minutes. Because I felt more relaxed, I didn't realize the strain I was putting on my body by not letting it rest. It wasn't until an injury occurred that I allowed myself to try a Gentle Hatha class and I realized that there is just as much benefit from a slower paced or even restorative class.

Allowing yourself time to rest and recharge will prepare you to function to the best of your ability with a lesser chance of injury.

5. She lives in the present.

When was the last time you saw a cat worry about what happened the day before? Or make a list of what they need to get done tomorrow?

Cats stress far less than humans because they live for the now: good food, a warm spot in the sun, a cardboard box to hide in. Their main concern minute-to-minute is to make the present as pleasurable as possible and to enjoy every second of it.

While humans obviously have a much larger world and more to potentially worry about, most of what we worry about concerns things or events that have not even happened yet. Or, we allow ourselves to become haunted by things that have happened in the past that we cannot change. Focus on what you can change, right now, in this moment. Focus on making every minute the best that it can be.

Eckhart Tolle says in his book The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, "I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them cats."

There is so much to learn from animals, and sometimes, that will include during your time on the mat. Accept and appreciate the distraction, listen to what they might have to tell you, and maybe even purr a little.

Originally published by YOGANONYMOUS: http://yoganonymous.com/5-ways-my-cat-inspires-my-yoga-practice