#challengeyouself

Yoga is about finding a balance between the comfortable and the uncomfortable. 

Do you struggle with a specific posture in your practice or during class? When I first started practicing yoga 7 years ago, I was terribly afraid of crow pose. I wanted to do the pose so badly, but I could not balance myself on my hands. Crow pose was hard and uncomfortable and scary at the time. I was so afraid that I was going to fall and break my nose each time I lifted a single toe off the floor. 

The fear of falling made me seriously so uncomfortable, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the pose. So I decided to master the uncomfortable. I practiced crow diligently every day before class started. I practiced the pose so much I had bruises on my triceps.  After a few months I was able to lift both my feet off the mat. I was only for a second, but they were off the mat. I had reached a milestone in a hard pose. I had challenged myself to still the fear in my mind of falling. I worked on improving my concentration because this is a very important factor in crow pose. 

I no longer fear crow pose. Because then you set your mind to challenge the uncomfortable, you will eventually be able to fly. Crow pose helped me improve my concentration and my focus. It most definitely helped improve my core strength. But most importantly, it gave me the courage to master the uncomfortable. 

Do you have the courage to master the uncomfortable in your life? On or off the mat....I’ll let you decided where. 

Namaste

It was cold, rainy and windy last night. It was not a comfortable situation to be outside for an extended period of time. Rain and thermal gear would have been nice to have. It was one of those nights where it would be incredibly easy to stay inside instead of venturing outside. The easy thing to do would have been to say its too tough. This is crazy.

Last night I debated whether or not I would spent 90 minutes cycling from Concord to Hillsboro where I was staying with my parents or crash on a friends couch. I know myself well enough to know that if I start choosing the easy way out that I will not progress.

If I start taking the easy way out I will become one of those complacent people that will settle. If I start taking the easy way out I will lose the mental toughness I have gained. If I start taking the easy way out, I will not be forced to solve problems and step out of my comfort zone. If I start taking the easy way out I will not be “innovative”, “creative” or the “DOer” that I want to be.

So I put on what little gear I had. None of which was adequate for the very cold/windy downpour that would commence for the whole 90 minute cycling ride. My hands went numb. The rain on my glasses was blinding when the light from car headlights reflected off of them. I was covered in mud. My backpack was heavy with clothes, gear, work stuff and full water bladder. My gear, clothes and pack were heavier than normal because they were soaked. As hard as I peddled, the wind pushed against me and it felt like I was crawling along.

I forced myself to do the ride because I knew it would be a struggle. I knew that it would not be fun but I would remain focused and push through. It felt great to finish. If a problem is placed in front of me that I am not familiar with, I know that I can take the same mindset from this physical challenge and can use this mental toughness to see the problem through to a solution.

People are creative, innovative and take a problem solving mindset when they are challenged or have a problem that is holding them back. How are you challenging yourself mentally, physically or emotionally?

Put yourself in a tough spot and you will be surprised how you will find a way to make it work. That might mean walking 11 miles to the nearest bike shop or replacing a popped tire in the pouring rain. It might be that you make a windmill out of random trash or unused items in your area to generate electricity for your family like this gentlemen did in this TED Talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/william_kamkwamba_on_building_a_windmill