Dancing With Discomfort

How relaxing and rejuvenating yoga can be. I lie on the floor, first on my back, then on my belly.... Taking my time I gently roll around, taking notice of tightness in my neck, shoulders and back. A downward dog gracefully maneuvers into an upward dog and back again. I sigh deeply. Life is good... One leg swings forward into a lunge and suddenly,

as if all the trees had been ripped up from Earth like in that Star Wars movie,
I hold my breath I start to sweat my face gets tense with struggle as a silent groan emerges from the depths of my hips which I swallow before it can leave my lips and as quickly as my stiffness lets me I move back into the safety and relative ease of downward dog.

Who likes discomfort?

It is the parts of our bodies that ache the most that we need to give the most attention to. It is in these areas that we store our stress and our fears. Sure, our ego feels really good when we can touch our toes or stand in headstand for 5 minutes. But by ignoring the areas that cause us discomfort we are turning down a beautiful opportunity to really learn something and progress in our yoga.

Growth doesn't occur when we always take the easy way out. A seed must fight through the dense darkness before emerging into the light. It is by practicing the postures that are most difficult for us that we can begin to explore our intimate selves- How do we handle stress? What images do our minds drift off to in order to avoid discomfort?

Dance on the edge of your limits. This applies to more than asana. Where in your life are you avoiding discomfort? Perhaps you still haven't called someone back. Maybe you're avoiding having 'that talk'. Move forward with your intentions, sit in your discomfort with a gentle smile of acceptance, and be open to the beauty this experience can bring.