anything vs. everything

A quote by David Allen reminds us that, "You can do anything, but not everything." An obvious dig at our over-scheduled, under pressure, multitasking lives, most of us can relate to the fact that we can only do a certain amount of things or to a certain degree before quality and sanity begins to degrade. But think about how these words apply to your yoga practice. Are you okay with not achieving certain goals? Do you happily sit out certain parts of a yoga class? Really?

It's easy to answer, "yes," if you're just picturing a bunch of humdingers that you have no desire to work toward. When you see something as completely unachievable, of course you won't care if you don't do it. However, what about a pose that you have been working toward or a pose you've always struggled with? What if some poses are always a struggle for your body or just not appropriate for you to practice?

When you're enthusiastic about something like yoga, it's natural to strive toward progress. Finding more space in your hamstrings, deepening a hip-opener pose or nailing that first arm balance might feel like little milestones that have defined moments in your yoga. That's great if the progress is gentle and genuine. Yet there are times where we all feel frustrated and we might do well to focus on a few important reminders.

1) Prioritize meditation. Physical progress can only go so far without deep awareness and self-control. Eventually, you will hit a wall and if your mind is not where it should be, you will push through anyway, usually resulting in injury, frustration or perceived failure. I've been there! Early on in my yoga practice, I was focused on seeing and feeling physical changes. Little did I know how changing my focus would change my life. If everyone put their mental state first, there would be no such thing as a "yoga injury."

2) There is no competition. Though it might be obvious to control your frustration when you don't achieve a pose, remember the equal importance of avoiding patting yourself on the back when you do achieve a pose. I know it feels great when you're finally comfortable with a pose you've worked long and hard to pull off, but if we truly acknowledge this lack of competitiveness, it works both ways. 

3) Yoga is a lifelong journey. We all know this. Progress doesn't happen overnight, we need to have patience, take it slow, be content...etc. To embrace a yoga lifestyle is to know that we need to be gentle and tuned in to our bodies, but it's all easier said than done. 

4) Practice alone. When you first begin to practice on your own, I believe that it's one of the first steps toward accepting your real practice. When there are no cues from the instructor, no friends or classmates to impress, your mind and body come first. Nothing can replace a studio practice either, but practicing on your own can be a great way to bring things back to basics and simplify.

"You can do anything, but not everything," is a powerful phrase to meditate on. You can only push your mind and your body so far before you are compromising something. It's better to do a little bit of mindful yoga than a lot of mindless yoga, as with any other task in your life. So pay attention to wherever you are and let yourself be ALL there. Namaste!