Leave your ego at the door:

It's easy to unleash your competitive side during yoga class.  As you try to imitate your teacher's flawless revolved triangle pose, you find yourself nashing your teeth, you feel your shoulders tense and you may even start comparing yourself to other students in the room.  Contrary to the phenomenon known as the Yoga Asana Championship, yoga is not a competitive sport.  In fact, when you push yourself past your edge, you increase your chances of getting hurt.

Buddhism and yogic philosophy teaches us that the ego isn't actually real. Teachers often compare the ego to a lake in the middle of a barren dessert. It's a mirage. Fighting with with it is like a mime struggling to climb out of a box. How can you fight a problem that doesn't exist?

As more and more advances in neurobiology are made - theories are emerging that attibute the sense of I-ness to a couple of chemicals produced in the brain.  Ego appears to be something beyond our control - similar to the way our heart continues to beat throughout the day without us having to try.

Even though ego appears to be something that just happens, there are ways to tame it and get it under control.

Here are some ways to recognize that your ego might be influencing your practice:

1. You forget to breathe - and when you do your inhalations and exhalations feel stressed 
2. You think everyone is looking at you
3. You start to feel uncomfortable in the outfit you're in (maybe you accidentally put your see through Lululemon pants on)
4. You push yourself beyond your edge and ignore pain
5. You compare yourself to the students around you 
6. You find yourself reumenating or getting angry about a conversation you had earlier in the day.  Maybe you start thinking about how you were right and the other person was wrong

So, what should you do if you start to notice your thoughts shift?

Observe your thoughts and let them pass.  Imagine your thoughts as words playing out on a movie screen in front of you.  Whatever you do, don't press the rewind button - if anything press fast forward!

"When ego loosens its hold—even a little—the sense of freedom is exponential."

Namaste!