First of all, I think I need to whip out the scarf and Ugg slippers.

I'll leave my "ego" about what I look like out the door, cause the Ugg slippers are coming with me to the grocery store in ten minutes.

Speaking of ego.... it has this potential to get in the way sometimes now doesn't it? And while I'm not suggesting you to rid yourself of it and bash it over the head with a sledge hammer, I do think we can all relate to the many circumstances in life where we self loathe, self bash and think we're simply not good enough. Not good enough for who or what though?

In reference to yoga, you might attend classes (or even teach for that matter) to obtain the ripped abs or get a sweaty workout, maybe to meet the love of your life and find the yogi or yogini match made in heaven. Funny how a teacher said yogamatch.com yesterday. New site?

But the real reason you should go to class is (possibly several) but because it makes you feel better. So ego applies to this since the second you are aware of it and perhaps loosen the reigns a bit you might start to find a sense of peace and self acceptance like no other, whether it be on the mat or in your own life.

Who doesn't need that?

The reason I titled this post "So you tripped on the sidewalk" was simply because we can all relate to it.

In reference to yoga, you're also likely not the first to:

1) Smack your legs into the wall during a headstand and fall completely out of it.

2) Pass wind during class (I'm a lady, I won't write any potty mouth terms here, but I think you get it-There is a book called "Yogi's poop" ya know.)

3) Fall sideways out of tree pose (TIMBER!)

4) Smash your face right into your mat from crow pose.

5) Do the "frog leg" version of jumping up from down dog and flung into your neighbor.

6) Sweated so much that there was a small pond on your mat.

Just like there's no reason to be embarrassed when any of these things happen in class, there's also no reason to fret when you trip on your own foot on the sidewalk in a very public place.

Geez, I've fallen down a flight of stairs in stillettos on a first date and somehow managed to regroup. I've got many more stories like this....Scary, right? I embrace it.

Not everyday is a BALANCE day.

Anyway, we hold onto this sense of ego whether it be on our mat's or in the bigger yoga class, called LIFE, but as I learned (being the Type A that I used to be-while some of it still lingers) is this:

1) Nobody's really looking at what you're doing, especially in balance poses, if you look at moving objects you're gonna fall anyway.

2) There is no right pose, only the right pose for you. You are not there to please the teacher and you actually don't have to listen to every thing he/she says. Back off if you need to and have fun!

3) Yoga is about self acceptance, self study (Click on this link svadyaya-sanskrit-if want to read more) and while you can function with having an ego, it's best not to be attached to the outcome of things. Loving yourself for who you are, and having compassion for not only yourself, but for those around you is part of the process.

So the next time you attend a class, or even teach a class, make the mat your playground, notice if you're breathing heavily through a pose because you feel you need to do it or get frustrated if you can't do it and allow yourself to snort laugh, giggle, appreciate that moment and move through it with ease (or not).

SO, fess up, have you had any mishaps in a class you want o share?

How do you feel about this?

Congrats! You're a real person.