How to use what you have to get what you want
It's been a long week, and I'm stretched thin with work, and yoga teacher training but I wanted to write a short post on a subject that's been coming up a lot lately. The yoga teacher training process has introduced new postures to work on, and, of course, the bigger goal to be able to teach yoga at the end. One thing I love about yoga, is the process of working towards something that seems impossible, and then, one day, you're able to do it. Showing up to class, practicing the postures, putting energy towards the changes you want to see consistently is the path to your goal. I think it was Pattabhi Jois who said ashtanga was about 99% practice, because the magic happens with the consistent work. I like to think of it all as energy. The world is made up of energy. Every action gets a reaction. We spend so much time focused on the result, on what we want. We suffer when the goal seems so impossible, or overwhelming.
If you can let go of the result and just focus on the present process, on the expenditure of energy, on what step you can take today towards what you want, the journey becomes so much more enjoyable. Can you let go of your attachment to the result, and trust that as long as you're putting consistent energy towards what you want, it will happen? The more energy you put towards your goal, often, the faster you reach it, but again, it's simply about figuring out what step you can take today, what feels doable, what is within your control, and then doing it. Take the pressure off yourself with whatever it is you are hoping for, and move into action. Break up your goal into small steps. If it's yoga, often just consistent practice, and honest effort towards postures will eventually make them possible. One day, you will simply be able to do that posture you've been working towards for so long. If it's something else you're working towards, it's about breaking up your large goals into smaller, less intimidating steps, and getting to work. Want to decrease anxiety? Start a daily stress reduction exercise (e.g. meditation, breathwork, yoga). Want to write a book? Just start with the introduction, then introduce a new character or concept. Write one paragraph a day, and eventually, you will have a book. Honestly, the thought of teaching yoga at the end of this training seems impossible, but I have faith in the process, and in my own personal transformation. Use what you have to get what you want. Use energy, consistent effort, action, to get you to where you want to be. Most people feel so overwhelmed, they are defeated before they even start. Just start.