two steps forward, one step back - lessons from yoga

Last night I went to yoga; a really great, challenging class. We did a few new poses, one of which pushed me, but I was able to find a good place with it and it made me feel strong. We also did plenty of familiar poses, one of which I just could not find my balance in. I felt shaky and it was extra frustrating since I know this pose, and in my head I find myself sternly saying to just get it together already.

Every day is different though, and for that class, that particular pose was not going to come easily. Once I accepted that, I was able to get more from what I was able to do, and go back to enjoying the practice itself. It is so easy when you are doing something you love, that you consider yourself to be pretty good at, to expect a linear path up. To get frustrated and caught up in setbacks. But we all know that isn't what progress or success look like. We've all seen the picture:

Life is so much like my yoga practice.

I was just talking about how great things take time... but they also take steps backwards and the drive to push forward again. Last night's class was a great chance to stop and reflect on that in a very concrete way. Life is about having goals, having dreams, having expectations... then finding the balance between working to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be, while having patience with the journey and respect for the process.

There are times I find myself wishing that I'd found yoga earlier. That I'd listened to that voice in my head telling me to try it years ago. But I am here now, and I have to respect the journey that will get me from where I am, to where I want to be. No matter how long it takes. No matter how many straight legged lunge twists or deep lunge on forearms (with a twist) I do strongly, or how many tree poses I wobble my way through. Just as I tell Gwen, everyday I am growing, even if it is so slowly that I can't see it, I can still feel it.


Happy Halloween All.