Everyone needs a break sometimes. I spent a year and a half doing two back to back intensive yoga sessions every night (Power Vinyasa and Hot Yoga). I'd be asked out by friends and on dates and it would *have* to work around yoga, I wouldn't cancel it for anything! I didn't eat anything which might affect my yoga "performance" so absolutely no dairy, wheat or sugar no matter what, no slip ups the entire time!
My focus became so fixated that I lost the premise of what yoga actually encompasses, which is balance. I started caring more about how my teachers thought I was improving, how I was dropping weight like crazy, and what Lululemon clothes I adorned myself with. I realised that all the spiritual as well as physical growth I'd achieved was stealthily and slowly being overshadowed by the Ego stuff without me even realising it. I was becoming distracted by the external and superficial parts of yoga when my practice was forcing me to bear witness to my Shadow stuff, the Buried stuff that I didn't want to face.
After the year and a half I developed a chronic adductor strain in both groins and a patella injury from pushing myself way too hard every night for 3.5 hours without giving myself any rest. It was a blessing in disguise because it made me step back and gain perspective again, the spiritual perspective I needed. I'm still dealing with the chronic issues and have lately taken a break from practicing at studios even though I teach regularly and get so much joy from it.
I think it's really important to just step back once in awhile (either perspectively or more tangibly), with anything you do in life, to regain your focus and most importantly your core intention. When you lose that intention you lose the fire that comes with it. Keep that fire kindled and bright by always coming back to the intention, the passion, and the Joy.
