How Practicing Mats Affects Everyday Life

When we enter the mat for yoga, or a form of martial arts – any practice really — it’s like entering another world altogether. These lessons learned in this space transcend the mat. It also possesses the capacity to deeply impact our lives in various other ways, as we can see that many of the skills and attitudes developed through practice carry over into regular life.

Mindfulness and Presence

Mat practice, for the most part helps you become mindful. Whether that involves our breathing, moving or balancing we start to become present. And when we practice this by taking the impulses as they manifest, that ability to reside in the present spreads into our daily interactions and decisions. When we work on our presence in the sticky room, its easier to show up and be SEEN & HEARD by others whom matter most…and really enjoy every moment of life.

Resilience and Perseverance

There is a level of tenacity that goes into solid mat training. Each person who practices has personal challenges — be them with a difficult pose, meeting an opponent in sparring or facing limitations due to physical injuries. It is moments of the struggle which teaches us, how to keep on going when everything goes wrong. The practice allows us to build resiliency that we can access when life gets challenging on the outside (personal challenges, work-related stressors or physical health condition).

Discipline and Focus

The constructive nature of mat perform encourages self-discipline and focus. Reserving time for training and making it a priority to get better encourages accountability. It is an essential discipline in life that enables us to use our time wisely, chase after those things we love, and stay loyal to the course. As we practice consistency on the mat, it will translate into keeping focus in other areas of our life.

Respect and Humility

Respect For Ourselves & Others — This is a non-negotiable across any mat-making… We are taught to respect our bodies and what they can do, as well as their constraints. Externally, extending respect to fellow practitioners harmonizes the differences in our paths and experiences. This culture of respect and humility bleeds into our everyday lives, which creates a more universally-friendly environment that helps foster relationships.

Conclusion

At its core, the mat is a microcosm of life. What you learn in practice and what those skills translate into are not constrained to the mat—they echo throughout our lives. Living out the mat lessons of mindfulness, resiliency, discipline and respect can help us show up better in life. It turns each moment put into practice, and bridges the gap between our inner experiences and outer expressions trying to make sense — a discord evolving. Therefore when you step off of your mat the next time, remember that this path continues all around — it just used by effort and presence in a sacred territory.