When I first started practicing yoga I used to get so mad at myself if I had to sit a posture out or take it easy for a moment. I‘d come from a lifetime of endurance-based sports with the “no pain, no gain” mentality.
I remember the phases of realization... first I learned how important breathe was in my overall function as a yogi (and as a human).
Then I learned that, depending on the day, my body didn’t always have the same flexibility, comfort or strength. Some days I could ease right into a certain posture, while the very next day that posture would be a challenge.
Eventually I got the point. Yoga is a meeting point for the body and the mind. What I physically put into my body each day (food and drink) affects my practice just as much as how much I’ve slept or how stressful my day has been physically and emotionally.
This realization that my body changes day to day also helped me grasp the ebb and flow of life on a greater scale. Like the seasons change, so do we. Some times are cold and dark and seem to go on forever. Others whiz by like a roller coaster ride. My favorite are glazed in warm sunlight and sprinkled with effervescent laughter. But none of the times last forever.
For me this is a time of building and growing, which requires intense focus and courage. There is no room here for ugly things like fear, doubt or anxiety. Right now my yoga is a little slower, a little deeper and a little more thorough than usual... stretching out and sinking in to all the nooks and crannies where the ugly things try to hide and chasing them out into the warm sunlight.
