THE ART OF SHOWING UP FOR YOURSELF by Marzia Prince
It was a typical Monday evening; I had driven directly to the gym from work for my regular yoga class. I like to show up about 10-15 minutes early to set up, say hi to my regular yoga friends, and get settled. But on this day, it felt different. I walked into class and the room was empty. I instantly thought ‘How weird! Where is everyone?’ The classroom was dimly lit; yoga music was playing as if class was about to start. There was no people or instructor in sight. I sat on my mat stretching and watched the clock go 10 minutes past the starting class time. I knew something was off. I checked on the app to make sure they did not cancel class. I did not see a notice, an email, nada, nothing, zip. Hmmm…I went onto social media to look, nothing. I decided to let everyone know on my IG that I was the only one who showed up to class today. After I posted, I checked the gym app a few more times and my email for a cancelled class, nothing. Was I being punked? Was someone playing a trick on me for Tik Tok? My mind reeled as I looked around the empty classroom. I wanted to leave. I needed the deep stretch, but even more, I needed the will to stay there and do it. I argued to myself in my head for a few minutes on why I wanted to leave. I can’t do yoga by myself. That is why I come to a class. I need accountability. But the other voice reasoned that since I was already here, I might as well stay and do it. Something stronger inside of me told me to stay. I mean the yoga music was already playing and the classroom was set at the perfect yoga mood. I knew that I was not going to do a yoga flow by myself, so I YouTubed a yoga video. It was official, I was staying. .
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After my yoga video, I felt good and it was not just from the stretching, I felt a sense of accomplishment that I did not walk out on myself. I could have quit but I did not. I smiled and thought: I showed up for myself
W H AT D O E S I T M E A N TO S H O W U P? Showing up for yourself can look different for everyone. It can be doing the right thing when you don’t want to. It can be honoring yourself in the form of self-love. It can be speaking up for yourself when you are too scared. It means being there for yourself when you need yourself the most. Showing up for yourself can be hard at times but when you push past the excuses, fear, and self-doubt, you just grow into a stronger person.
S T O P T H E N E G AT I V E TA L K You talk to yourself more than anyone else in any given day. How do you talk to yourself? Or better yet: how many times have you talked yourself out of something you truly needed to do for you? Think of why you talked yourself out of it. Was it fear? Was it the easy way out? I can think of many times that I talked myself out things for all kinds of reasons. Even when I had a gut instinct to do the right thing and I talked myself out of it. Why? Simply because I could not show up for myself. I let excuses and negative self-talk win. Most of us struggle with selfworth and old wounds. Our brain remembers old thoughts that are no longer relevant to our current situation. I had to learn my self-worth. I learned the art of talking positive to myself daily more than being negative. That day, the positive me showed up for myself. I became stronger in making the right decision every time. Hence, I stayed and did yoga.
ELLA Inspires Magazine
