Words from the Wise: Falling into Place

It’s a universal truth: We will all fall in life—all of us. Yes, you too. If you can accept this, you're on the right track. When I’m teaching yoga classes, I encourage my students to play with their balance until they fall because that’s when the real teaching happens.

I believe that yoga holds countless lessons for how we live life. We're all going to fall in life, but it’s what happens next that matters most. If we can fall with grace and a lightness of heart, we’re serving ourselves. In class, when you fall out of a pose, notice what the first thought is that crosses your mind. If you find that you’re judging yourself or telling yourself, "I’m not strong enough" or "I can't believe I fell, I am no good," take a pause and recognize that you’re reinforcing limiting beliefs.

When you fall, if you notice that you have a smile on your face or a bit of laughter comes out, know that you just did the pose perfectly, regardless of what the physical posture looked like.

© Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. All rights reserved. To request permission to reprint, please e-mail editor@kripalu.org.