A different outlook when returning to the mat
I just had minor surgery a couple of weeks ago (tubes removed!), but I was medically cleared yesterday and today I returned to a mysore class for the first time.
I've been off and on sick since February, so my practice has been pretty sporadic even before surgery, so I felt like a beginner again as I moved through just the standing postures today.
With one key difference: when I first started Ashtanga 3 years ago, I was so nervous and what I was doing compared to what everyone else was doing. I worried I wasn't practicing for long enough, breathing slow enough, flexible enough.
Three years, a lot of yoga and meditation (plus anti-anxiety medication) later, I returned to the mat feeling confident. I pushed my body but did not overdo it. I didn't worry about the length of my practice. I didn't hyper-focus on other practioners in the class. I feel great!