My biggest mistakes and embarrassments in yoga, which reminded me that I am a person on the right path...
I will never forget the day I went to my first power yoga class. I felt pretty confident, with a mat under my arm, ready to conquer the world, or at least the gym. But just a few minutes into the warm-up, I realized I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Everyone around me seemed to float past me in a sun salutation like graceful dancers, and I was panting and sweating and barely keeping up with them.
Suddenly, I attempted to transition into Warrior II position and immediately rolled over onto my side. As if gravity had decided it was time to become my personal teacher, I ended up in a tangle of limbs and mats. My cheeks burned red and my heart pounded with the embarrassment that only a total flop in public can bring.
Needless to say, this was not the calm, radiant, "I just found my bliss" yoga moment I had imagined in my head. But in a way, it was exactly the boost I needed.
That day was my first big "mistake" in yoga - trying to be perfect instead of allowing myself to learn. Little did I know that it was also the beginning of learning how to laugh at myself, accept where I am, and move on.
I'm going to reveal some of my biggest "oops" moments on the mat (yes, there are a lot!) and what they taught me about growth, acceptance, and the most important lesson: we don't have to be perfect...
An overly ambitious cleavage
That time I started a 30-day yoga challenge and felt pretty invincible. When I saw my instructor perform a perfect front split, I decided to follow suit - even though I had barely warmed up or worked on flexibility. I took a deep breath, tried to find the yogic strength within me, and pushed myself down.
I ended up with a ridiculous, half-hearted "split" somewhere between my jammed hips and that exclamation twitch in my groin. Everyone else who had calmly completed the split turned around to see if I was okay. I just laughed it off while my hamstrings screamed at me for the next two days.
Your body is amazing- it can do incredible things for you if you give it the consistent training and time it needs. Rushing into advanced positions without building a proper foundation is a fast track to discomfort and injury. It taught me to meet the body where it is and not force it into shapes it's not ready for.
Nonstop non-stop messing around
I used to constantly worry about how I looked in poses. Was my alignment perfect? Did my stomach look weird? Was my hair falling into my eyes? My mind would race and I would end up adjusting my clothes or hair a thousand times instead of focusing on my breath.
During class, the teacher gently whispered to me: "It's okay if you just don't move." At that moment, I calmed down. Right in front of everyone. (At least that's what it felt like!) Embarrassed, I realized that I had been so preoccupied with my appearance that I had forgotten the real point of yoga - inner connection.
I now believe that my teacher was there to help me with alignment and that my mat was a judgment-free zone. When my hair was falling into my eyes, nothing was happening. I learned to let go of perfectionism and stay in the present. Because who cares about the top of your ponytail when you're in the Mountain position and grounding yourself in the present?
A screeching moment in the room
Picture this: we're lying in Savasana (corpse position), and the whole group is still, eyes closed, drifting on the clouds of final relaxation. And all of a sudden... there is a strange, loud creaking. At first, I thought maybe the floor was settling. Then I realized: I was the one sliding my sweaty foot across the mat. It didn't sound so much like a gentle shuffle as a cartoonish squeaky toy echoing in a quiet church.
Everyone may have had their eyes closed, but I was sure they could hear the sound. My inner critic started screaming, "You're so embarrassing! You just ruined everyone's rest!" I lay there feeling guilty, like the world's worst yogi.
Yoga is not about quiet perfection. The practice space is real life - people coughing, clothes creaking, mats making bizarre noises. The best we can do is just smile at the silly moments of life. Sometimes we need to drop the self-criticism and give ourselves (and others) grace. We're human, and that's beautiful.
Forget to breathe
In more challenging positions, like the Crow or Half Moon, I've held my breath without realizing it, determined to push through. The result? I'd get dizzy, lose my balance or fly out of the position like a drunken penguin.
The teacher called out to me: "Remember to breathe," and I realized I was turning purple with concentration. Meanwhile, the rest of the class was inhaling and exhaling in a silent chorus, looking completely relaxed.
Yoga is literally about the connection of breath and movement. Whenever I find myself struggling with a pose, I go back to the breath first. Therein lies the real power and engine. It has taught me that the key to the most difficult situations (on and off the mat) is to keep breathing - deeply, intentionally, and with compassion for myself.
And what emotional turnaround did these "missteps" cause?
Over time, these mistakes - and many others - changed my yoga experience.
There came a point when I realized that every setback, every bump, every mat-squeaking fiasco was actually helping me become a better yogi and a more compassionate person.
Humility set in. Every time I slipped, rolled over, or squeaked, I was reminded that I was no yoga demigod. My practice is an ongoing journey and it is a joy to be a repeat beginner.
It causes self-acceptance. The mistakes made me reflect on why I expected perfection in the first place. Why was I so hard on myself? It forced me to embrace my own humanity.
The perseverance is needed. Instead of allowing myself to be shamed, I used it as motivation to keep trying. Each time I picked myself up, I found a little more confidence and courage in myself.
These so-called "setbacks" became the biggest reminder that I was on the right path. Because if I'm not stumbling, I'm probably not challenging myself. If I'm not risking a little embarrassment, I'm not stepping out of my comfort zone. And yoga, at its core, is about personal growth - mental and physical.
I've come to realize that every session on the mat is a new beginning. Whether yesterday's pose was shaky or last week's class felt like a bummer, a new day is a reset button to try again. And there's a profound beauty in that trying, with all the quirks, giggles, and awkward falls.
A few words of wisdom in closing...
- Laugh at yourself. It's an essential life skill. You will make mistakes and that's okay. Laughter reduces the pressure to be perfect.
- Make friends with your breath. In challenging positions and difficult moments in life, come back to your breath. There is incredible power and peace in a single conscious inhale and exhale.
- Honor the path. Remember that yoga is a practice, not a performance. Each pose and moment of self-reflection will bring you closer to understanding your own body, mind, and heart.
- Progress before perfection. Celebrate the small victories along the way. Maybe you lasted one second longer in tree pose than last time - that's growth worth acknowledging.
Mistakes and embarrassment can be some of our best teachers, leading us to grace, humility, and acceptance. So the next time you wobble, make an unexpected sound, or misjudge the depth of your cleavage, take it as a sign that you are alive, learning, and human - which is exactly the way yoga is meant to lead us.
Take your mat, unroll it, and try again - mistakes and all.
Embrace the mess, the noise, and the imperfection. Because through it all, you are on the right path. And it leads straight to the heart of becoming a more whole, compassionate, and joyful person.
Namaste the chaotic moments. It teaches us more than we realize...
Have you experienced a similar misstep in a yoga class or in your home practice? What was going through your mind at that moment?
Share with me in the comments...
