Fit to Print Volume 23 Issue 1: March 2014 | Page 19

Mind Body Spirit

by Karen Britton

The Only Opponent Is Within
To Succeed, Let Go Of Your Fear
I also hear, “I want to do yoga but
I'm afraid I won't know what to do.
It's ok not to know, sometimes it's
the “not knowing” that can allow us
an open heart and open mind. Yoga
allows us to be free to explore our
potential. When you come to a yoga
class for the first time, let go and
let the teacher know you are a
beginner. She will help you, and no
one is going to judge you. Everyone
in the class started somewhere.
They all had a first time. And how

There is a famous quote by the artist
Picasso; “Good artists borrow, great
artists steal.” I have to admit that I
stole this title quote from a poster in
the ladies room of the Fitness
Incentive, a quote I hope you notice
and take heed of; steal it and use it
yourself! Make it your mantra and
repeat it every day, several times a
day for that matter. Do not fear its
outcome but embrace it, because fear
is only a thought in the mind,
therefore it does not exist.
Fear does not exist; imagine that? So
what are we all afraid of? Think about
it for a while.
What inspired me for the topic of this
article were all the “fears” that have
been humming around me for the past
month. Lately, when I see people,
they tell me how much they want to
do yoga…..BUT…… .that's the very
next word I hear, “BUT” followed by a
list of all their fears. That's what I'm
here for, to help those overcome their
fears. I shall begin this process with
the following words.
Let’s start with the first fear I've been
hearing. “I really want to do yoga, but
I am afraid that I'm not flexible”. This
is a myth, not a fear. One does not
have to be flexible to start yoga, yoga
will make you flexible. We work
towards our goals. Commit to a yoga
practice and you will gain flexibility.
Maybe flexibility is not your only fear,

Not only can you build
outer strength, but you
can build inner strength
as well. As we let go of our
fears and gain confidence
we find our true potential
and defeat the inner
opponent.
can we really know what others are
thinking? Why create another fear of
what someone may be thinking,
when you simply don't know what he
or she is thinking.

more than happy to help you and
perhaps introduce you to a yoga
teacher that you can talk to before
taking a class.
What are you missing if you let your
“inner opponent” win? You're missing
out on a great package of benefits
that can improve your life and all it
holds. Your daily workout routine will
improve, whether its weight lifting,
running, spinning, kickboxing, etc. You
don't have to give that up, yoga can
make you stronger for it. You will have
better concentration, build strength,
tone muscles and increase flexibility,
and your breathing will improve. Yoga
also aids in detoxing the body. Many
students have told me that they were
able to stop using over the counter or
even prescription mediations with a
regular yoga practice. Yoga can help
to change the way we think about
many things, rewire the brain to
create newer and healthier habits.
Yoga creates awareness of our
thoughts and actions. We begin to see
our thoughts, recognize them and find
clarity. We recognize fear as being
just a thought and once we can see
that, we are able to let go and pursue
our goals.
With a yoga practice one finds peace
and learns how to relax with what is,
leading us to find better ways of
dealing with situations.
The list of benefits goes on, and you
will find the ones you need as you
practice yoga. One other thing to
keep in mind is that not only can you
build outer strength, but you can build
inner strength as well. As we let go of
our fears and gain confidence we find
our true potential and defeat the
inner opponent.

Another fear I hear is that yoga is
too hard. It's only hard if you say it's
hard. Again more thoughts for the
mind to entertain and that's all it is,
entertainment for the mind, but yet
not so entertaining for you. Let go
of it being too hard, challenging it
may be. When we practice yoga, we
learn to overcome the challenges.
“The only opponent is within.”
Find the right class for you. A
beginner class is the best; perhaps
get your feet wet with a private
class. If these ideas don't fit into
your schedule, Fitness Incentive has
many other classes that are
accessible for a beginner. Visit the
front desk, and someone will be
Spring 2014 FIT to Print

Karen Britton is a certified Yoga Instructor.
She teaches Yoga classes and programs
at Fitness Incentive.

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