Taking baby steps

Yesterday afternoon I went to yoga a bit early so that I could chat with the instructor, Jo. I told Jo that I wanted to learn how to do a headstand and asked her advice on how to get started. She explained that there are two types of headstands: the traditional headstand, Salamba Sirsasana, and the tripod headstand. Salamba Sirsasana is a supported headstand in which your palms can be flat on the mat or cup your head, and your forearms are on the ground next to your head. You come into Salamba Sirsasana from Dolphin pose. In tripod headstand, your hands and your head form a triangle on the ground. You can come into tripod headstand from Crow pose, Bakasana, or from Straddle Forward Fold, Prasarita Padottanasana. I wasn't sure which one I wanted to learn, so I had her show them both to me. Jo said that one isn't necessarily easier than the other - it's different for every person so she advised to try them both and see if one felt more natural than the other.

I decided to start with Tripod headstand from Crow. The first step is being solid in Crow and then lowering your head to the mat without letting it thud. This was definitely scary - I felt like I was going to fall flat on my nose! I tried it a few times and keep wimping out by putting my feet down. Jo reassured me that I was on the right path - I just needed to be patient and keep practicing. During class I tried it a few more times and I started to become more comfortable until my arms got too tired. Then I reached a point where I knew I was done for the day and I just let it be. I didn't try to keep pushing myself - I acknowledged my work and then let it go. I didn't dwell on not being able to do it perfectly like I had hoped, but rather I smiled knowing that I was one baby step closer to achieving my goal.

This morning I went to class early again so that I could practice. Jo recommended using the wall initially for support so I tried that. It definitely helped put me at ease because I didn't feel like I was going to fall over. I successfully was able to lower my head to the ground from Crow without putting my feet down! Woo hoo!!! It was so rewarding to see that just the few minutes of practice I did yesterday translated into my body today. That boosted my confidence way up so while I was still feeling the adrenaline I moved away from the wall and did it on my own. Yay! Now I can't wait to go back and do more! I still have a long way to go until I will be in the full tripod headstand so I need to pace myself - it's hard for me to be patient. I'm always trying to get to the end goal as fast as I can so I have to remind myself to relax and enjoy the journey.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about how yoga translates to the rest of my life. Where else in my life do I need to be more patient and keep practicing? Where do I want to give up when things get challenging? Where do I avoid trying something new for fear of failing?

It's all about baby steps. I know I'm not going to visualize something and then have it pop into reality the next day. I listened to a recording by Brian Johnson of PhilosophersNotes.com this morning and he said if we "work diligently, patiently, persistently and playfully we are bound to be successful." I really like that :) The other thing he said is "99% is a bitch but 100% is a breeze." Basically, he was saying that if you commit 100% to a goal, it is actually easier than if you are less committed because you get rid of the internal debate. You no longer listen to the little voice in your head making excuses not to do something. I completely agree with this. When I tell people that I go to yoga every morning at 6 a.m. they think I'm crazy and say "oh I could never do that." I try to explain that it's easier to just go every day without thinking about it or debating it. If I just make that part of my daily routine, then it takes the struggle out of the equation.

I'm am now through day 5 of 60. Tomorrow I will be out of town for the day so I won't be able to attend class. However, I am still committed to doing an hour of yoga on my own when I get home.