When I attend my yoga class at A2 Yoga, Heather Foster, my wonderful teacher, always makes a point of thanking us for “coming to the mat.” As she explains it, the sheer act of choosing to spend an hour or so on the yoga mat represents a willingness to commit to our wellbeing. And the mat represents a sacred space dedicated to being in the moment, focusing on ourselves.
I always smile inwardly when I hear those words, because it makes me think of the struggle I usually have convincing myself to actually go to Yoga class in the first place. Class meets Tuesday and Thursday at the end of my work day. By the time 5pm rolls around on any given workday, I’m pooped. The idea of slipping into my yoga gear and schlepping to the studio, especially in the dark, cold, grey of winter, is often quite unappealing. But, in spite all the chatter in my head (“you went three times last week, you can skip a class this week!” or “you’re too tired.. blow it off!”) I grab my yoga mat, fling it into the car, and go. And– once I’m on my mat, working through the postures, I’m always glad I did.
The idea of coming to the mat is at the core of a successful coaching program (well, really, of successful ANYTHING). Public speaking, life or career coaching doesn’t work unless the client, chooses to come to the mat, regularly—which means literally showing up for their appointments as well as doing what it is they've said they're going to do in between appointments.
There’s no question that it takes courage and commitment to begin – and remain in—a coaching program. Because life always offers us so many reasons to avoid coming to the mat and showing up for a coaching session.Here are few regularly offered to me by my coaching clients:
- I didn’t do my homework
- I’m feeling discouraged, so why bother?
- I’m doing really well, so why go?
- I’m tired and cranky and don’t feel like going, so there!
The list of excuses goes on and on, energetically and enthusiastically supplied to you by the sabotaging, nay-saying little judgers perched on my client's shoulders (I like to call them Moe and Schmoe).
It’s darned hard to shake off those little judgers and all their juicy excuses and choose, instead, to come to the mat. But just because it’s hard doesn’t mean you can't do it..
This morning, for example, I had a client drive through snow and ice all the way from Grand Rapids to my office in Ann Arbor for her coaching session. She could have called me to reschedule it—the weather would have been a great excuse. But instead, she chose to brave the roads so she could honor her commitment to coaching and to advancing herself. “My shoulders hurt!” she said, indicating just how hard she’d held onto her steering wheel, navigating the tricky roads. I congratulated her heartily for coming to the mat and honoring the sacred time and space dedicated to her growth and fulfillment. And her commitment to coming to the mat really paid off: We had a particularly insightful, energized coaching session today, which wouldn’t have occurred if she had given in to the excuses and not come.
How about you? What regular, healthy activity have you committed to that you are avoiding? When and why do you tend to make excuses not to honor the commitments you've made to yourself-the exercise, the meditation, the coaching sessions, the good eating habits, the full night’s sleep, the time play and relaxation? When you do choose to go to the mat– to honor that appointment with your coach, or swim those laps, even when avalanched by excuses–how much better, how much more empowered do you feel?
The fact is this: You can choose to talk yourself out of going to the mat. Or you can choose to talk yourself into it. The choice is always yours.
Get into the practice of coming to the mat, metaphorically speaking, even and especially when you don’t feel like it– and enjoy the increased sense of joy, growth and personal fulfillment that come when you honor your commitment to the most important person in your life: You.