Yoga is about finding a balance between the comfortable and the uncomfortable.
Do you struggle with a specific pose/posture in your yoga practice? When I first started practicing yoga in 2008, I was terribly afraid of inversions, particularly handstands. Every time I tried to get into a handstand, the fear of falling overwhelmed me so much so that I refused to even try.
That fear of falling made me so uncomfortable that during class, when offered to go into an inversion, I either did shoulder stand or hips on a block. However, being someone that does in fact love a challenge, I decided that I needed to get over my fear and give it a try. I wanted to do handstands so badly! So I decided to master the uncomfortable. I practiced diligently each time I got onto my mat. After almost 4 years (yes that’s how long it’s taken me and it’s been very humbling) I started to gain the strength and confidence to do it. I’m still working on holding the pose for longer periods of time as well as attempting funky variations (i.e. tree, straddle, eagle legs etc…), but I am just so happy to be able to get off my feet and onto my hands.
For me that’s where the excitement lies. When you are able to come face to face with your fears and then overcome them, you start to feel strong and unstoppable. When we live in a place of fear, we aren’t able to grow. We are limited by the walls we’ve created around us. But, NOW is the time to break down those walls. By learning more about yourself and challenging yourself on the mat, you begin to start to see and notice changes in yourself off the mat too.
Through yoga, I’ve found my strength, my power and learned more about who I am, what I can offer the world, and how I can take action in my life.
I no longer fear handstands. Because when you set your mind to something and challenge the uncomfortable, you will eventually be able to fly. Practicing handstands gave me the courage to master the uncomfortable both on and off my mat.
Do you have the courage to master the uncomfortable in your life?
