Old vs. new

I've tried writing this blog dozens of times over the years....but it never ended up being posted for some reason or another.

Below is a side by side of my old and new(er) yoga mat:

The old mat is over 10 years old.  It is completely beat up.  Nole the dog (God love her) used the old mat as a resting spot in NYC for years while I ran over doing yoga.  And as you can imagine, Nole the dog was far better at downward dog then I am or ever will be  The old mat is shorter and not as wide. About three years ago, an instructor suggested I get a new mat.  And being a new yogini, of course I rushed out to get one.  The new mat is awesome, but for some reason it never feels the same as my old mat.

Last night, I did an amazing yoga class.  The teacher talked a lot about polar opposites or opposing forces.  It made me think about my old mat that I was practicing on as I looked around at everyone else's modern day mats around me.  Sometimes old is good....sometimes new is good.  Sometimes we cling to the familiar...and other times we need new experiences.  Sometimes we are open to change...and other times not so much.  Sometimes we listen to our gut...and other times we do not listen to it even when we should.  Sometimes people surprise us...and other times not so much.  Life is all about polar opposites.  At the end of the day, we always have to figure out what is right for us in the moment and long term.  Anyway, that's my life lesson and wisdom for the week.  Happy Tuesday.