The Flexible Journey

With the release of my dvd on yoga backbends (a practice dedicated to the system of Yoga backbeding), I have often been asked about my flexibility.

Is it natural?
Did I develop it only from yoga?
Is it genetic or anatomical?
Was I flexible as a kid?
Did I have any prior physical training?
Was I already flexible?
Do I think others can achieve this?

When I say, “no”, “no” and “nope” I get some pretty surprised looks. I still remember when I was far away from the splits as well as the advanced backbends. I stretched upward and saw the ceiling only. It felt like entering a black hole.

Fast forward 30 years and I am more flexible at 40 than as a kid, a teen-ager or my early 20’s. Most people assume you can’t develop flexibility beyond a certain age. I don’t necessarily agree. My husband (who is not into yoga at all) witnessed me developing much more flexibility in my early 40’s than in my mid 30’s. We also have pictures to prove it.

From a recent e-mail, I was asked whether or not flexibility is something developed, genetic and/or accessible for everyone?

Enjoy!

Do you attribute your flexibility mainly to the asanas?

There is no question that I developed this because of yoga. And when I say yoga it is not just the practice of the postures, but the entire system which includes breathing, meditation, relaxation and studying the scriptures.

Overall, I would say ‘yes’, I do attribute my flexibility to the practice, because I trained and practiced for hours and hours, which have turned into years of literally hard work. I think it is 'nice' to consider the notion of hidden flexibility, but having worked through the various stages of releasing blockages in my spine, hips, legs and shoulders, it was from a dedicated practice that lead to the physical flexibility.

What techniques you have learned from your Guru?

What made the difference for me was looking at the practice from beyond the physical level. I began to look inwardly at what was blocking me mentally and emotionally. I could see my back was not bending so working on the physical level alone was not going to help me. I made this connection very early on.

When I met Yogacharya Venkatesha his teachings affirmed what I could not previously articulate. He focused on working from the level of prana (energy). I was taught from the beginning to be with the postures and not taught to consider them as the be-all-and-end-all. It was emphasized I was using my body to work on my mind. I was not always successful with the latter, which is a life-time exploration and more difficult than body training. And while I studied from different teachers and books, my personal practice informed me the most. But my main teacher Yogacharya taught me this.

Which ones are you teaching now?

I remind people to practice beyond the physical level. I say remind, because this is not something I can teach. It is inside of them (re: their own inner teacher waiting to be awakened). My role is to teach students how to breathe, to press at their edge and to go inside. Without these instructions you can force your body and get frustrated when it does not respond. It is a process, which needs to be emphasized.

The practice is an uphill battle, which is not a marketable truth. Many people don't really understand how much is required on ALL levels in order to achieve the flexible back (if that is what is truly desired).

Would you say that you were always a ‘bit' flexible?

There will always be arguments around the genetics of flexibility. Was I already pre-disposed, however, to being so flexible? Hard to say for sure and no one can answer that. Had I chosen a totally different career I never would have developed my backbends. That's a fact.

Early on I was taught to apply the theory to the practice. When people see the extreme flexibility they have the idea it is natural. What is not visible is the struggle – the years of practice and not getting it right. In India I practiced hard and my teacher witnessed it. From the outside it might look like something magical happening. But there are no tricks. What there is – is your practice.

I do see a lot of very stiff people, and I'm sure they would benefit from your teachings, but would they ever get as flexible as you?

If the goal is flexibility alone then this is not going to happen to these extremes. As I mentioned, Yoga works when the theory of the practice is applied. For the postures to emerge there is a shift internally and mentally. It is mental determination over the body and purity of heart. The practice does not give results easily. Getting frustrated and upset can be channelled into fuel for practice. It is easy to get down on yourself forgetting that the journey of moving through this is far more beautiful than reaching the top of the mountain.

I often ask the question what would change for yourself if your feet came to your head? Would you be happier? Calmer? More generous? Less bitchy? The fruit of the practice comes from abandoning reservations and practicing as consistently as the ancient texts speak about.

What’s the biggest lesson you learned?

The greatest lesson of Yoga is learning to accept your body and its limitations. What I have learned is to work with myself and my various assets as well as shortcomings, and bring it all together. When you start doing this you don't look at a short torso and longer legs, and sigh. You figure out how it all works because it is the only thing you have. I have personally learned to appreciate all pains of practice and set-backs as well as limitations (doing this all the time is the my lesson).

If you remember the martial artist Bruce Lee, he said he had a leg that was one inch shorter than the other! He used this to develop a better kick over his opponents. This is great inspiration.


Me in 2007, Jaisalmer, India,
practicing tripurasana (an
advanced version of the backbend
above). This was at a time when
my teacher said, "hm, not coming."

The photo at the top was
taken in 2010 (Mt. Abu, India).
And my teacher said, "hm, coming."

© The Yoga Way, Toronto, Canada 2012.

10 Reasons Why You Should Start Meditating Now

Also posted on MindBodyGreen Check it out. . .

With so many studies confirming what the Yogis have already been saying for centuries (i.e., that meditation alters your brain) this gives tremendous hope in dealing with physical pain, mental turmoil and emotional disturbances. Read Men’s Health, Good-bye Medication and Hello Medication.

Here are some really good reasons to learn to meditate now:
1. Lowers blood pressure
2. Relaxes the mind
3. Elicits physical relaxation
4. Develops better concentration
5. Lessens emotional tenacity
6. Improves breathing
7. Reduces stress and tension
8. Lessens the feeling of pain
9. Develops the ability to reflect
10. _________________ (this one’s for you)

7 Things You Need to Know About Backbends

When people hear about bending backward often visions of a contortionist with their head resting on their buttocks comes to mind. Bending back looks pretty tough; even a bit painful. A few years ago a student expressed feeling pain just by looking at the backbends postures on the wall at my yoga school in Toronto.

“Hm, I thought, they look good to me!”

But if the truth were told even for practitioners like me who have been practicing backbends for years know it is not so easy. For those interested in the practice here’s how to take backbends into your yoga stride.

The 8 things you should know:

1. Backbends shake you out of your comfort zone.
If we stop and think about it most (if not all) of our daily movements are limited to moving forward. Rarely do we spend time defying gravity by moving upside-down, backward or sideways. It just feels natural to bend forward. It’s also the obvious thing to do when picking something off the floor. However, backbends offer an exciting way to move the spine. This creates better balance between our normal activities and breaks-up the rigidity of the spine spent sitting for too long. It is a journey from our habits and into something not so familiar.

2. Keep your brain healthy and your heart active.
Medical studies have shown many people suffer from chronic back-pain. An interesting study conducted in an American university linked the effects of continuous low back pain to lowering the grey matter of the brain. Read ~ Losing Your Mind From Back Pain. Yoga Master B.K.S. Iyengar recommended backbending as a cure for depression. He also advised that backbends be used as a holistic alternative for heart patients. Because backbends stretch the heart they relieve tensions stored in the muscles and send off natural pain-killers. They may also cure depression and boost the immune system.

3. Backbends are a great teacher of life skills.
When we come face-to-face against our physical edge our minds our challenged. This presses us to develop patience or to drop-out. If we to stick to the task we will benefit from the practice in learning how to slow down as well as breathe. The practice also takes energy, devotion, will, discipline and care; all good things for life. And being true to life, backbending is no exception in that there are set-backs. Sometimes we stretch too much and need to learn our limits.

4. There isn't any traditional system of Hatha-yoga that omits backbends.
To name just a few of the traditional systems of yoga Sivananda-yoga contains the wheel (chakrasana), bridge (setu-bandha sarvangasana) and locust (shalabhasana) as its basic postures. In the primary series of Ashtanga-yoga the pickings are slimmer, but wheel still shows up. In AtmaVikasa Yoga developed by Yogacharya V. Venkatesha (check out ~ www.atmavikasayoga.com), a full system of backbends is taught. These range from the crocodile posture (makarasana) to full locust (shalabhasana) to camel (ushtrasana), with a closing sequence offering both bridge and wheel.

5. A backbending class is a not just a class of non-stop backbends.
In the charming city called Mysore (perhaps more famous for being the home to the late Shri K. Pattabhi Jois), Yogacharya Venkatesh has been teaching for over 20 years special backbending classes to a handful of students at a time. His classes are not for the elite, but a wide range of older, stiffer bodies to younger and bendier ones. These classes are structured to suit individual need. As well, they are not just a class in non-stop backbends. Forward bends and other counter postures are given a lot of emphasize by holding them for double the time as the backbends. FYI: If you decide to go to Mysore you can only study under one teacher at a time (no cheating).

6. Backbends are uncomfortable but one way to work on the mind.
Frankly speaking, what can you honestly expect if you have never bent backward before? Notwithstanding medical issues or injuries backbends extend the entire spine and move the body laterally, forward and backward. They are challenging and no teacher should tell you differently. It's at that point the theory of the practice gets kick started. We practice to move beyond physical tension and use the 'breath' as the force. Is a misconception to think the practice is only about contortionism. There are some extreme and unusual positions, but that’s the means to a indirectly working on your mind. Remember: we use the body to work on the mind.

7. The practice never promised Cirque du Soleil.
In the end, the bud of yoga appears differently from one practitioner to the next. In other words, getting your feet to your head may or may not be your goal. And if it isn't does that make you less interested or insincere in your practice? No matter how the flower of the practice appears it is the promise of Patajalim's Yoga for growth. Of course, Patajalim never promised it would be easy. But we are guaranteed success with a consistent practice and a sincere effort.

If this sounds good...you can see more on my youtube channel.

© The Yoga Way, Toronto, Canada 2012.

Being vs. Doing

How the practices of yoga are about the state of 'being' and 'doing' in which they both cohabitate.  

A well-known practitioner of Ashtanga-yoga jokingly said once, "Don't make an ass of yourself practicing yoga-ass-ana." This is paraphrased, but it brings to mind how yoga is not just for the sake of the postures. Paradoxically, it is a journey of doing in which we discover our state of being.

Inherent in the practice is a unique method of using the breath combined with moving the body. As we move from one posture to another with a focus on staying focused, there are often pockets or moments of feeling connected to our deeper self. As intangible as these moments might seem they gradually bridge the gap between the state of 'doing' to that of 'being'. One of the biggest complaints about yoga in the West is how it gets taken up for manic reasons without shedding the layers of pride, egotism and arrogance. Rather than letting go there is more pride, conceit and vanity created. Given how the West is generally known for being less evolved spiritually than the East there tends to be less awareness about practising for a higher purpose. I myself came to yoga with the work-out mind-set.

But I would argue none of this is worth getting hung-up over. How many blogs, posts and debates exist about why Ashtanga-yoga, as an example, is only physical and another yoga is better. Or as one student asked during a backbending workshop I was offering, "Why does everyone resonate so much with Ashtanga-yoga?' (Eh?)

Certainly, I have no answer which would be the same as answering for other people why they prefer the taste of a green apple versus an orange. This question, however, shows how our attention and awareness is diverted from what's really important. Not to mention it was a workshop in backbending and not of Ashtanga-yoga.

In the end, every practice of yoga including Ashtanga-yoga is a clear set-up to elicit stillness. These are through the breath, gazing points, the length of time a posture is held and the resting posture at the end of class. A typical class contains a clear beginning in which the mind is directed inwardly, a series of postures practiced to help the mind from going out and the resting pose completes it.

The whole practice is laid out in the Yoga Sutras. The first verse states, "Yoga is the cessation of thoughts (1:II). This simple statement contains a great deal of insight but also questions. That is, what does cessation mean since we know we cannot actually stop the mind? Do we first achieve this through struggle? How can this be mastered? Usually we think of mastery as a skill we acquire. It can mean, however, an on-going skill and process that lies beyond gripping one's jaw or losing one's breath. If yoga is about stillness then it is not mastery of the outer form alone.

Patanjalim's yoga makes this clear.

Another verse speaks about the efforts made in practice becoming effortless. Confusing indeed. This Sutra says the when efforts cease and the quality of the postures arises.

"Perfection in an asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within is reached." B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

The best way to understand this is to be reminded of the fact that postures are not static. Each pose contains an element of struggle and one of relaxation. That is, both the state of being and the one of doing, which are not the same in every pose. The point of relaxation is not the same in the wheel as it is in the bow. If we only fight to get into the postures there will be less of a chance to relax, reflect and expand. It is more like an elastic band stretching with great care and skill.

In many ways practice is like learning to ride a bicycle. In the beginning you have to really concentrate and put in a great deal of effort. I will never forget when I was learning I forgot how to use the brakes and hit a fence! As you one learn how to cycle a natural rhythm gets started. The practices of yoga are equally about good health and fitness as it is a continous path to touch our inner state of being. All the systems of yoga are the perfect place to practice 'doing' and 'being' and 'being' and 'doing'.

We learn to take both and become one with them.

That is how the postures lead to a state beyond just being an ass-ana. And perhaps more importantly, why spending your time over why one practice is not for you is a waste of your time and energy.

Really Yoga: Understanding Pain as a Teacher and Working with Injuries

It is true pain, discomfort and disturbances surface by practising yoga.

"Pain? But isn't yoga supposed to be a 'feel-good' activity?" 

Pain is not a Qualifier to a Good Practice 

While I am implying that it isn't and for those already familiar with the rigors of the practice, a nodding look might be surfacing. What I mean is just because you feel uncomfortable does not mean you are doing it wrong. Conversely, having pain is not a qualifier for a great practice either. The trouble lies in understanding that no spiritual practice (whether it be yoga, meditation or any other related practice) was never meant to be an unobstructed or easy ride.

In fact, it is the most challenging and demanding path an individual can pursue (Georg Feuerstein, The Lost Teachings of Yoga).

With the increasing number of people practicing yoga (estimated over 40 million since 2004 in the United States), which is absolutely incredible it is bound to stir hidden tensions and stresses in the body and mind. The practice is carefully designed to uncover what has been repressed and neglected. The unexpected takes place, it looked easier than it is and demands so much more than the 1,2,3, you’re done approach!

Push, Relax or Do Both? 

When I first started practicing yoga I had some flexibility but certainly not to the degree I later developed. I also lacked strength in many parts of my body as well as my mind. Studying under Indian Yoga Masters helped drill this latter point into my head. That is, the practice of the physical asanas is a direct route to training the mind.

Practice for everyone at no matter what level of expertise should not miss this point. That's why telling students to relax more and not push too much might not be serving them. Perhaps a habit has been made out of relaxing and chronically not challenging themselves and resting on their laurels. That said, I am also not in favour of throwing a student into the lion’s den, pushing people over and watching them fall and calling it “building up fear tolerance”. It's ignorant, counter-productive and gives teachers a bad rap for being 'bad' teachers, but more that Yoga HAS to hurt! It also leads people to think all pain is good. Yoga is pain and without it maybe I am not working hard enough.

Because yoga has been narrowed into the physical stream with pain as a trophy for many (i.e., I suffered this and achieved that) there is a slow landslide in understanding why, how and what it is all about. Paradoxically, we work with the physical postures to heal the mind, awaken the dormant energies and develop a better understanding of our strengths, weaknesses, habits and ultimately an inner purpose.

Pain as many great teachers say is the greatest teacher of all (Jon Kabit-Zinn, a meditation teacher in America). And yet learning or rather finding out how to use and work with pain is the biggest challenge for us all.

The Tools of Yoga 

Yoga provides us with these tools in a real and tangible way. If we want to walk on the path it will challenge us in all directions revealing what it is we need to know and where it is we need to go. It may also reveal what we do not want to face, which is equally difficult in working with personal mental resistance.

I used to have a lot of pain in my knees when I studied under Shri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore. I brought that pain with me so I do not see it as the fault of yoga or the Guru. Early on in my practice there were many impurities and weaknesses to work with. As a former figure skater I used my right side more and my left side became quite tight. As I learned lotus and other postures it was during the time of a lot hands-on assistance; there were also very few students present and the popularity of Ashtanga-yoga was yet to come. The approach back then was to let me practice, strap my body into the asana (ready or not) and continue to practice. Each day I hobbled into class Pattabhi Jois was not baffled at my pain. Call it my ego, my impure body and mind or that I was not fit enough, I struggled like a worm trying to break free of its cocoon every day.

Guruji (the affectionate name for Pattabji Jois) used to say, "little pain today, gone tomorrow." I don't think I appreciated this until tomorrow became many, many tomorrow's and much later (even years later).

What I have discovered is the journey of yoga is built upon how to work with the breath, the gaze point and the bandhas. It was not until one day during my practice that something inside of me totally recognized my physical pain was connected to both mental and emotional barriers.

Intuitive Knowledge is Under-rated 

Working or rather practicing alone on the body only takes you so far. We have been conditioned in the West to look for the teacher to give us the solution or to make it right for us. However, it was on my own and from countless practices that inner guide slowly awaken. As teacher this is what we owe to our students. To show them how to do this. The external teacher can only reveal where we are stuck physically and mentally. And like it or not, it is up to us (you and me) to find our way home. That is why Guruji did not hold my hand or wipe any students' tears. I never saw him phased by all the people groaning and moaning either. I was actually happy he did not speak a lot of English. And the reason I say that is because I think many teachers talk too much! Of course, it is better than not talking at all. However, words are limited and talking can potentially over-intellectualize the practice and prematurely make assumptions and conclusions.

Silence as a teacher is stronger than verbal discourse and Guruji was not a man of many words. He let me practice and watched; supporting me with his energy and his gaze.

Sometimes students feel this is a cold and uncaring approach. However, it is the student who has to do 80 per cent of the work and the teacher 20 per cent. Having worked through numerous layers of the body, I slowly developed a system that allowed me to keep building posture after posture after posture. I encourage all students to start like this and how I taught yoga at my school ~ The Yoga Way. Start off with a basic element of a posture and practice it 3-4 times each time you practice. I never heard of a musician running through a piece from start to finish. So the same logic can be applied when working on the postures of yoga.

Goals and Pre-Goals 

Take for example the desired lotus pose. First, understand it will not come from shoving the knee into the pose. It will grow like the lotus from a deep place and with an intelligent approach that starts from working from the outside in. If the goal is lotus then the pre-goals need to be in opening the hips, the lower back, developing stomach control and loosening the legs. The umbrella to this is the connection of the mind and its habitual clinging to the disturbances of the body. This umbrella will also be the bridge between them: the breath.

The Breath

Breath directs thoughts, feelings and consciousness. Through the breath the body moves (not vice versa). Through the breath the mind moves (not vice versa). This is a fairly simple revelation but a critical aspect to practice.

When working through intense pain this is the approach. While working through layers of physical or mental resistance this is the approach. When having fun this remains the approach. That is, breathe.

Technique is Not Enough

Knowing the technical aspects is also not enough. In fact, the techniques can be learned pretty quickly in just about any posture. I sometimes think you really do not need a teacher for that. You can read it in a good book, watch youtubes or sit down with a dvd. What takes time (a life-time) is the understanding of the multiple layers of the mind, the nuances of the postures and bringing the scattered mind to a still place in a single posture. That is why my teacher Yogacharya Venkatesha had me practice less postures for more internal work.

And he would often say, "You have worked a lot on the physical level, how about your mind?"

Today, we either have people saying pain is necessary for practice and let’s bull-doze through it. Or feeling afraid of the pain and becoming paralyzed. The fact is as many Buddhists discuss life is pain, life is suffering and yet it is also beautiful (Chogyam Trungpa).

Patience - Where Can I Get Some 

One of the most wonderful things my teachers demonstrated consistently is patience. They did not scorn or ridicule but offered encouragement by saying, "it will come."  Having worked through many injuries with my knees, pain in my back and joints as well as a car accident (before yoga), it is because of pain that the practice keeps going.  I once even walked to class because of the pain to Yogacharya's class. It was my last class and I was very disappointed.

He only said, "It will go."

Pushing through pain only creates more of the same. Therefore, working carefully, gradually and consistently is the only way to understand pain as a teacher and not to remain in pain. Practice is not about getting rid of it, but slowly ironing it out and leveling it down.

Breathing, meditation, postures, chanting, reading scriptures and working with a qualified teacher creates a practice and space that teaches you how to work with your own body, your breath and your mind as it is, and in any given state.

Understanding yoga (really) is having yoga work for you as a life practice and partner; sharing in all that comes, goes, is, isn't and remains to be seen and yet to be experienced.

Birds of a Feather

one leg to eat cheese . . .
one leg to phone . . .

Recently one of my students sent me this; comparing how a bird can eat cheese with one leg and how I use the phone with one leg.

This little bird definitely has an advantage, I think, being able to eat with one leg. Birds are not missing much by not being able to make a phone call. They can deliver their messages first-hand.

The Practice of Doubt

There comes a point in most practitioner’s journey when the questions of 'why' am I practicing and 'if' the postures of yoga are worthwhile begin to surface themselves. Doubt (one of the 9 kleshas) as laid out by Patajalim in the Yoga Sutras is an affliction or mental aversion. As my teacher Yogacharya Venkatesha told me it is best to deal with doubt as soon as it arises otherwise it will follow you and wreak havoc with your practice. But this is not to imply that it doesn't come up again later on. In fact, it may be masked by other feelings such as frustration, pain or recklessness. The main point is not how it appears but rather that it is acknowledged and dealt with. From the perspectives of the teachings of yoga it is a part of the path; not something to be thrown away or rejected. It can be used to strengthen practice and oneself provided it is properly understood.

First, in the Yoga Sutras the concept of doubt is a mental fluctuation arising from past karmas and deeply rooted in the mind. Second, doubt is not as solid as it looks and feels, but changeable and workable. At a time when you'd love to skip the sequence, jump the track and move onto something else doubt, frustration and impatience keep you stuck. In many ways this is something to be grateful for because the practice will not let you bullshit yourself. Either you have practiced the basics well and are ready to move forward or you have not. Simple. There may also come a time when one thinks they have practiced enough to be deserving of certain postures, but the reality of yoga and its evolution does not work with this equation. In my practice and after learning many of the advanced postures my teacher did not let me practice them when I studied with him. He lead me back to square one; i.e., to the basics. It was a painful place to remain for the ego.

The whole idea behind this was to never forget that practicing yoga is not about physical mastery alone. As well, it should include chanting and meditation, and become a life-time commitment. However, impatience and feelings of wanting it all now can cause a lot of doubt to surface. When someone asks me how long it will take to master a certain pose I usually say for the rest of their life. They roll their eyes and nod at my seemingly trite reply. However, it is the truth. Because even after reaching whatever goal you had set out to obtain the very nature of the mind is to be off in another direction and looking for the next thing to achieve. This has a lot to do with cultural conditioning and if learn to move faster and get there sooner you might get to the top. And yet, 'true' yoga does not gel with this myth.

It really becomes important to be reminded that the practice of yoga is not just an end result in physical proficiency but an inner state of transformation. Or, perhaps one should say being open to this possibility. Asanas are the invitation for creating and developing an inner fire, a heat called 'tapas' that ignites change on all levels. Patajalim stressed seated asanas not handstands and vinyasas. Postures like sukhasan (comfortable seating pose) or padmasan (lotus) are the ultimate goal in then learning to meditate.

The funny aspect of doubt is how it can bring to light the two extremes the mind jumps between. That is, feeling as if it is taking too long for any kind of decent result (usually directed at the physical level) and trying to compensate for this by over-practicing. Or, having the idea that practice owes you something for all your hard work and trying to rush through the sequence to arrive sooner and faster. Yet, the bottom line is nothing can be achieved from a haphazard approach. The sutras painstakingly remind us that practice needs to be consistent and constant.

Certainly this is not easy to swallow in a fast thinking and product orientated culture for which the West is famous for. But this is where yoga outshines other practices and disciplines. If you learn to hang in there you may just see all of this ‘stuff’ for what exactly what it is: the mind’s game to throw you off or away.

The basis of the yoga postures lies in training the mind to move with the body in a continuous stream of prana (or known as the breath). Ultimately, it is not about touching your feet to your head or sitting in lotus as it is about understanding the scattered behaviour of the mind. Usually the mind is good at undermining your practice especially if there are bigger expectations than those which have been achieved. Saying this, however, does not mean that a healthy dose of vim and vigour should not be taken into one's practice. It is more about awareness and seeing the mind’s silly game. In fact, having a sense of urgency in that this might be your last practice is helpful especially if there is a tendency to be passive or in auto-pilot.

Many years ago my teacher actually told me to think while practising, stay longer and be still. It is very similar to Shri K. Pattahi Jois’s well known phrase in which he said, "Practice and all is coming". By this he did not mean practice mindlessly or blindly, but practice with vim, vigour, sincerely and with all that you can devote yourself to. Practising like this will take one further than expected and throw out the mind's limitations, and fears. It is like George Bernard Shaw who said,
“I want to be thoroughly used up when I die,
for the harder I work the more I live.
I rejoice in life for its own sake.”
I feel practice can become like this. That is, for its own sake and not for the sake of only a physical goal. My own teacher’s simple but powerful statement has always stuck with me. By 'think' he meant learn to concentrate. As well, you can go on looking for results or enjoy your practice as it comes. B.K.S. Iyengar (a Yoga Master in Pune, India) was good at repeating something in the same effect. “Do not practice from memory. Forget yesterday’s practice and focus on today’s practice." He was also adamant that one should not practice only what they know, but enter into the arena of what one cannot do. The former helps build confidence while the latter reduces arrogance and unnecessary pride.

I personally believe when doubts surface and questions like 'why' is it taking so long appear it is a call toward understanding oneself at a very deep and profound level. If we can 'catch' ourselves just at that second and remain open rather than shutting down, the same doubt that produced thoughts of inadequacy can be a vital force. Rainer Marie Rilke said it best and I will not copy-cat or even try. He wrote,

“And your doubt can become a good quality if you train it. It must become knowing, it must become criticism. Ask it, whenever it wants to spoil something for you, why something is ugly, demand proofs from it, test it, and you will find it perhaps bewildered and embarrased, perhaps also protesting. But don't give in, insist on arguments, and act in this way, attentive and persistent, every single time, and the day will come when, instead of being a destroyer, it will become one of your best workers--perhaps the most intelligent of all the ones that are building your life.”

― Letters to a Young Poet

Becoming a Master of Yoga or anything for that matter is like being a student all the time. And for those who do they are very clear about this battle and learn to practice.

~ Om tat sat.