This week marked the beginning of a journey of 108 days of yoga. As a veteran of P90x, the push to the next level of physical fitness is a familiar journey. Still, nothing has ever prepared me for what I am facing now. This adventure is specifically designed to transform every aspect of life from the inside out. There are three 36 day cycles that are designed to stretch every facet of my being, including physical, mental, emotional and spiritual intelligence.
I am four days in and I currently can’t imagine actually making it to day 108. The challenge is great and I feel the desire to quit. This desire intrigues me and makes we wonder about how I might be running away from other challenges in my life. Am I running away? Are you running away?
The challenge is also invigorating me. I want to do the impossible. Each practice is inviting me to let go. Before I began I was unaware of how much letting go I actually need to do. It is good for me to see this, and to feel what it is like to do it.
Today’s practice is Yin Yoga. It is a series of stretches that are held from 3 to 5 minutes. None of the poses are comfortable for me. During the process I found myself tightening my grip in nearly every sequence forcing the pose and forcing my body. About halfway through the workout I allowed myself to let go. I just quit pulling myself into the pose and allowed myself the luxury of falling into it. I couldn’t believe how this changed my experience. This was when I thought of all the things I need to let go of in my own life. The worries, fears, doubts and concerns – The ones that are always pushing and pulling me out of alignment. The ones that always make things more difficult than they need to be.
And so I let go of them now too and resolve to fall into the natural flow of my life.
Life is Good!
Andrew