Lessons from 20 years on the mat: #3 Progress is Possible

This summer marks my 20th year practicing yoga.  What started in the basement of an office building has become a journey that I never could’ve imagined . In celebration, I’m sharing the biggest lessons that 20 years of yoga has taught me in the hopes that they support you on your yoga journey.

LESSON #3: PROGRESS IS POSSIBLE

When I first started yoga, my teacher often taught handstands at the wall.  Week after week I’d try and never manage to get my bum over my head.  I’d go to the wall, flail about like a fish out of water, laugh at myself and call my teacher over for assistance. It felt like I tried FOREVER. 

Then, one day, my bum was over my head and my feet were at the wall.  I think I shouted “woo-hoo” when I realized I finally got myself upside down in a handstand without any help!

One week later, I kicked up again.  And the week after that and the week after that until I realized I could handstand at the wall whenever I wanted to.  It took my willingness to show up and try but I finally got it.  Now I feel confident hardstanding at the wall even when I haven’t done it for a week or more.  

PROGRESS IS POSSIBLE 

What that process taught me is that progress is possible.  When I show up and do what I can, it’s possible that things will change.  It takes commitment, dedication and a healthy dose of humility all while not taking yourself too seriously to make progress.  But, progress is possible.

The journey to those first handstands was super important for teaching me what would happen if I kept showing up and trying even when it didn’t seem like I was making progress.  Eventually, the change I’d hoped for happened.  

WHEN YOU DON’T TRY

But here’s the thing about my handstand journey.  That’s where it stopped.  I still can’t balance without the wall.  

I’d love to say it’s because of an injury or I’ve been directed not to by a trusted teacher. But that’s not why.  The reason I can’t balance without the wall is because I never try. 

This is illustrating the flip side of my lesson: If I don’t work at something, it’s NOT going to grow.  Worse, it could diminish.  I would love to be able to do a handstand in the middle of the room. And I’ve had at least 15 years (minus 2 pregnancies) to be able to work on it.  I just haven’t done it.   Therefore, it hasn’t changed.  I can handstand on the wall.  I can’t handstand in the middle of the room.

I know that all the practice in the world might still never bring me freestanding handstand.  But without trying, I’ll never know what’s possible.

YOUR DEDICATION MATTERS

Yoga has given me the gift of experiencing what happens when I stick with something for a long time.  I know that that kind of dedication makes a difference.  

This lesson applies to a lot of life.  If you truly dedicate yourself to something, it’s likely you’ll experience some progress.  Dedication to being more present helps you wake up more often.  Dedication to an instrument or art form develops your skill over time.  Dedication to healthy eating creates changes in your health.  Dedication to exercise creates changes in your body.

And it has given me the perspective to know that there are no guarantees.  Showing up and practicing will create changes - but they may not be exactly what you want.  You may never get to the desired goal.  

But.  Without your dedication, things definitely won’t change.  The balance won’t come for handstand in the center of the room.  The health won’t improve and may get worse.  The relationship will stagnate rather than blossoming.  The instrument will remain unplayed.

TRANSFORMATION

Learning that progress is possible is really important because I believe that it’s possible to experience profoundly transformative shifts in ourselves.  The kind of changes I’m talking about are more than being able to do a yoga pose.  They have everything to do with moving out of our conditioned patterns and shifting our consciousness.  That kind of change transforms your life.  And it’s worth your dedication.  When we stick with ourselves through moments of turmoil and continue to choose more consciousness, more aliveness, more Love, we change the world.  Not all at once, but by making progress again and again.  

And so the questions become: What do you value? What do you want to lean towards? If you want it, give it your dedicated attention and see what happens.  Even if you don’t get it exactly, you’ll learn along the way.  As many great teachers have said before: the journey is always more important than the destination.