Hey Monona Yogis! Enjoy this guest blog post from one of our dedicated Ashtanga Students, Curtis Cunningham.
When I was in Miami at conference with Sharath Jois, he made the statement that you need to, "research yourself". There is a lot of independent scientific research being produced stating how to become stronger, how to lose weight, how to be the best at this or how to be the best at that. While this research has scientific merit, it is missing the most important thing, it does not include you. All the outside research is not done on your mind, your body, your life experiences, your fears and your desires.
As I continued to reflect upon this, I thought about how this relates to the work we do. All the external research and analytics in the world cannot tell us how any one individual wants to be supported to reach their full potential. The person is the only one that can answer what supports they need to reach their full potential and desired outcomes. In the programs we administer we must recognize that despite all the external research studies, that our programs are serving unique individuals. This is fundamentally why person centered planning has to be at the heart of all that we do.
As an inspiration, I encourage everyone to "research themselves". Whether through yoga or other means it can be a very rewarding experience. Be inquisitive, but also remember to be kind and accepting of yourself. Researching yourself shouldn't be about finding flaws or wishing things were different, it is about understanding who you are, accepting where you are and understanding where, if anywhere, you want to go to achieve your full potential. There is only one you and only you can determine what path you want to walk.