Yester-you

I pulled out my old Flip camera this week (remember those things?) to record a practice class with a few of my trainees. After we were done, I took the camera back to my place and noticed that there were quite a few other videos still on the camera. Naturally, I had to watch them.

They were all from a road trip I had taken with a friend about two years back. I had forgotten about these videos, forgotten about that trip. But also, forgotten about who I was back then. The version of me that danced across the tiny screen was about 30 pounds heavier and, for most of the videos, always holding a beer and a cigarette in my hand.

Then, suddenly, the next video pops up and it's me, now, guiding my friends through a sun salute.

It was a strange experience that's still staying with me a few days later. But it was also a gift. It's so easy to completely disconnect from who we were and where we've come from. Yes, we live in the moment.  But that doesn't mean our yester-selves should be ignored. Yoga is about unity - and that means recognizing and honoring where we've come from. There are lots of great practices to help you connect with your past, but I find that one of the simplest ones is to occasionally take some time to go through some old journals, videos and photos to have a physical interaction with the you of yesterday that brought you to the you of today!

I want to cheer for that heavier, intoxicated me - look at what she overcame! I want to say to her, "Hold on to your hat, girl - you have no idea what's in store. And it's awesome!"

How can you honor your yester-you today?