I know yoga isn’t about looking good – otherwise I’d do a lot more with my hair before class other than tying it up in a messy lopsided kind of knot. But when you stick me in front of a mirror I can’t help but notice certain less than flattering fat folds that occur in twists and forward bends. It’s the reason I don’t practice in just a sports bra and honestly probably one of the worst reasons why I activate Uddiyana Bandha.
When I practice in a room perfectly devoid of mirrors I am happy as a clam and often feel like a yogini goddess as I move from one pose to the next. Fact: Many yoga poses feel much more graceful than they actually appear.
But when I practice in front of a mirror or let my ego get the better of me strange things begin to happen. Want to know the most interesting part? They’re not all bad.
What Mirrors & Ego Do To Yoga (for me).
- When I am standing in Mountain Pose and catch that first glimpse of myself in the mirror I always wonder: why is my left thigh fatter than the right. I am immediately taken out of my practice and into the land of worry and concern regarding my left thigh fat. Bad news.
- Then I wonder why that lady down the room is staring at me in the mirror? Hey lady take a picture, I know my hips aren’t square right now! Get out of here. Bad news.
- Then I see myself in Warrior Two and wonder: Hmm why am I doing a booty pop in Warrior Dos? Tuck that tale bone, Heather, tuck it in… Much better, now quit leaning forward. Shape up, shape up. Perfect – I improved the pose. Good news.
- Whoa, check out that crazy thing that gentleman just did. I wonder if I can do that. OUCH. Nope. No, not at all, I cannot do that bind. Crap. Bad news.
- I refocus on myself. About half way through class it’s basically just me and that slightly less graceful chick in the mirror who looks just like me. She starts to remind me to open my chest, square my hips and use those F-ing bandhas. She also starts to push me like no one else in the class can. Competing against myself, I argue this to be: Good news.
- My shirt flops up in handstand and there it is: my belly fat. GROSS! How upsetting. Bad news.
- Ohh my hips are doing something super weird in Pigeon, get after it; fix it up. Good news.
- Ohh check out that person’s deep twist, nice bind, buddy. I appreciate that your body does that, but mine does not. I’ll take the pose deeper in my own way. Suck in that belly button, HC! Good news.
- Savasana: So thankful to no longer be staring at that red-faced chick in the mirror. Her hair was really out of control. Good news.
- Mind wandering ensues. No news at all. Total peace and quiet.
The Break Down:
The mirror and ego are bad news: When I’m taken out of my practice or competing with others or wondering what other people are thinking. That’s so beginner’s-ville. No one cares what I’m doing in a yoga class and if I let what I think people are thinking about me tweak out my practice (or back for that matter) the joke’s on me. Yoga is a one on one sport – me vs. me and me alone. If I let what I look like in the mirror mess with my head then I’m not getting what I came to class for. And if I try to do things other people can do just to compete with them then I’m no longer in control of my practice. Everyone is built differently so no pose is the same for two people. Maybe crazy bendy guy can bind because he’s double jointed. Now I look like the yogi ass hole who’s trying to compete with a circus performer. Totally uncool.
The mirror and ego are good news: When I allow these two tools to assist me in deepening my practice. Everyone needs a little reminder that 1) no pose is ever perfect and 2) every pose is always perfect (oh hey non-dualism). Oh and 3) you can always challenge yourself safely in yoga. If I can use a mirror to check myself out in Warrior Two for alignment then it’s helping me to improve my practice and deepen the pose. And if I allow my ego to inspire me to try a pose I’ve never felt ready for in the past then it’s become and invaluable tool in taking my practice where I want it to go with it. Totally cool.
I don’t vibe with the argument that the ego is awful all of the time, but I do think it needs to be controlled. And do I love practicing in front of mirrors? Not always (and especially not after eating a veggie burger and sweet potato fries the night before). But I think a little bit of both can help you or hurt you depending on where your head’s at.
Holler!
XO
Heather C
Heather,
I really appreciate hearing your honest thoughts about being true to our individual bodies. I have only practiced yoga for a few years, and I get frustrated by my limited flexibility. I do notice improvement when I keep at it.
I love your take on this Heather. You should like a total tantrika…and I like it!
I loved this post. These things are all I think of when I compare my Bikram Yoga (with mirrors) and Vinyasa-style Yoga (without mirrors) experiences. Its always been my contention that Bikram Yoga was a superficial experience. I got stared at a lot in mirrors, I got a lot of comments on my body before and after class. I had one or two fully focused classes out of over two hundred. My mirrorless experiences have helped me focus so hard on my yoga practice that now, when I use a mirror, I’m able to stick to myself and those positive corrections. As always, great blog.
Thanks so much for the support! And never let anyone scare you away from yoga with their comments – it’s clear that they’re not on their mat for themselves if they’re paying more attention to you then their own practice. Namaste!
For me, it was the photos of myself doing yoga – I was like, OMG, are my hips reallllly that wide? Now, I am used to the pictures and to how I look. So I am like, Yup, my hips ARE really that wide, and YUP, my ass DOES leave the room a while after I do. And that is my superpower.
I’m the same way, have to embrace those curves!
This post seriously resonates with me. I always thought I liked the mirrors until I started practicing and teaching at two studios that don’t use them. It’s much easier to quiet my mind if I’m not thinking about my bloated stomach or jiggly thighs. Plus, checking out someone else’s incredible form next to you in the mirror and then making awkward eye contact is the worst.
Personally I like teaching with mirrors, mostly because it gives me something to talk about. While the neurotic voices of ego are probably jabbering away in everyone’s heads, I try to ignore that and encourage my students to use the mirrors to check and correct their own form and it seems that, especially with beginners who have not yet developed a strong kinesthetic awareness, they respond better to verbal ques when they have a visual reference of what their body is actually doing. I never want anyone in my class to feel bad about themselves based on something they see in the mirror but I do harp on the importance of correct form at all times, even if the pose is being modified. My hope is that by helping everyone learn to self regulate, it will also boost their self esteem as they will be observing their own progress.
On the flip side, I have also noticed that sometimes looking in the mirror can throw off my balance. I’m not sure why this is or if it affects anyone else in a similar manner.
Great post, thanks for sharing!
Another fantastic post! I used to “like” mirrors because it was all I knew until I went to a studio that didn’t have them. I now fully appreciate not having that aspect to bring the mind within, but I do agree that as a teacher it can be good to check the alignment now & again. Still agree it’s better sans mirrors, tho.