What does Perfectly Imperfect mean?

In yoga and mindfulness, perfectly imperfect is the state of being present and mindful, accepting now as your starting point. Perfectly imperfect describes a state of being content in order to move forward.

Perfect

Perfection is something that many times we strive for. We set goals, have desires for our future, imagine what we can become. Focusing on what we want to become helps us to move forward. However, the term perfect, describes a singular vision, a way that something must be, a pinnacle. When we strive toward perfection, we become attached to that singular vision. Once we become attached, when there is no room for change or adjustment, we move out of the present moment.

“Attachment is the source of all suffering.” Buddha

Mindfulness is being in the present, observing and not judging. If we strive for perfection, the one best way to be, we judge ourselves again that ideal. When we judge ourselves we become discontent, our mind spins with thoughts and we place ourselves in the past or future (judging what we did or worrying about whether we can attain the ideal in the future). Perfect takes us away from the mindful present.

Imperfect

If imperfect is the opposite of perfect, it means that we no longer strive toward one ideal. We are not that ideal and we are not attached to becoming it. We notice where we are in the moment. We accept that and continue our practice, our movement forward. We can still focus on what we want to be, but without judgment. We may stumble, but we move forward. We may achieve, but we move forward. We focus on each step, observe and move on to the next step. We may change our path at any time. If perfect takes us away from the mindful present, imperfect is being mindful. Mindfulness is being in the present, observing and not judging.

Perfectly imperfect is achieving this non-attached, content state.

Those definitions are fine, but what do they really mean? How do we apply those to our yoga practice, or more importantly, to our lives?

Perfectly Imperfect Yoga

Perfectly Imperfect in our yoga practice recognizes that we are all different. We were all born with different bodies. We all have lived in our bodies long enough that our bodies all work differently. We recognize that we practice differently day to day.

So, when we approach our mat, we accept what our bodies and our minds have to offer. We notice. We release. We give ourselves space, both literally and figuratively to make our practice our own. Perhaps we provide extra space for our belly. Perhaps we use props to aid with balance. Perhaps we turn a pose on its side and practice supine…or against a wall. There is no perfect way that a pose will look. There is no expectation of how deep we go into a pose on any given day. Perhaps we stop our practice and take child’s pose. Perhaps we stay in a balancing pose a little longer because that feels right. We notice. We accept. We release. We come back to our mats tomorrow. We notice. We do the practice we need. We accept. We release.

Perfectly Imperfect In Life

Yoga on our mats, is practice for our life.

Something does not go as expected. In a world of perfection, we ruminate. We go back into the past and run it over and over in our minds. We worry about the outcome that now will be different than that ideal we had planned.

“We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” - Joseph Campbell

Something does not go as expected. In a world of perfectly imperfect, we notice. We accept that it is. We take the next step as if we are stepping onto our mat. We accept what our situation has to offer. We notice. Perhaps we need to come up with a different strategy. Perhaps we need to ask for help. Perhaps we need to give ourselves space. We do the best thing that we can in the present moment. We notice. We feel. We release. We approach the next present moment as if we are stepping on our mat.

In yoga, mindfulness and LIFE, perfectly imperfect is the state of being present and mindful, accepting now as your starting point.