What’s your super power?
Nearly a decade ago when I embarked on my first yoga teacher training the instructor asked us to think of a super power that we would like to have. My mind immediately conjured up images of Marvel superheroes. At this point in my life I was in the throes of raising three boys and if I wanted to watch a movie with my kids then guess who won out with the movie selection? Thus I become well versed in superhero powers and abilities. I thought of Ant Man whose powers could shrink and enlarge objects and also have the ability to communicate with ants might seem worthy of a superpower. Wolverine seemed appealing because of his healing factor. Of course there was the almighty Wonder Woman with her strength and speed. I guess I wasn’t thinking too out of the box with this question.
Fast forward some years later after delving into yoga trainings, teaching yoga and hours and hours of personal practice under my belt I have arrived with a very different perspective and answer than years ago. The practice of yoga which includes meditation has profoundly shifted my inner landscape. In the beginning, I practiced yoga solely for my physical body. I liked the way it felt in my body and enjoyed seeing more sculpted muscles and the feeling of flexibility. But all of this is what I call surface yoga and there’s nothing wrong with this. We all have to start somewhere and just the physical practice felt good to me for a long while. However, at some point I dropped below this surface level and began to engage with yoga in a deeper sense. I began regularly incorporating meditation which is part of yoga and this act of taking my seat in stillness is where the shifts became seismic. I was no longer just curious about my physical body through the execution of yoga poses, rather curiosity is what became my superpower for my mind on the yoga mat and in the stillness and quiet of meditation. Best of all it’s a super power that is genuinely attainable.
As acclaimed yoga teacher Jason Crandell suggests, “Yoga is the perfect opportunity to be curious about who you are.” Curiosity is innate in all of us and as kids this way of looking at the world takes center stage. However, as adults we tend to lose this part of ourselves and our thinking mind takes over. To make matters worse, the thinking mind is laced with judgements. Therefore, curiosity may not come as easily as one may suspect. I believe it to be a genuine practice just as one would practice any other skill or hobby. It’s one of unlocking your inner Sherlock Holmes.
We can start by noticing thoughts and feelings. The key word here being notice. This is not the same as thinking about them. Often when we think or analyze about a thought or feeling it carries some judgment with it. We can also notice sensations in our body when thoughts and feelings emerge. Once we notice we can then attempt to name what we are feeling or thinking and try to be with it. That’s right, be with whatever we’ve noticed and resist trying to change it or ourselves. Pema Chodron sums this up exquisitely, “Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already.”
I like to imagine a world where applying curiosity and noticing within all areas of our lives has the potential for major impact. It’s challenging to be curious and judgemental at the same time. In this vain, relinquishing self judgment and judgment of others using curiosity as a tool is truly a super power worthy of creating peace within and without.