05 :: Challenging Myself To Be Better

My yoga practice is my personal science project. I’ve collected over 2,500 hours of data and I continually add to that number with each class of yoga that I take. My hypothesis is: by mindfully moving my body, I can chase my pain out of my body. What started off as an activity to get me out of the house and moving around has grown to a compulsion to functionally move my body with presence of mind.

In my data-set, I have run a number of different experiments to see how I would perform under different circumstances. How many days can I practice in a row? 30? 60? 90? Could I practice two back to back classes? Could I do five in one day? Can I lie in stillness for final Savasana until I’m the last person in the room? Can I try my best for every second in the ninety-minute class? Can I move without anticipation or hesitation?

The first of these challenges was unintended accident. One day I had gone to class without my water bottle. The 40 ounce container would hold just enough wate to get me through class. There were numerous times where I wish I had brought more water with me. Even though at the time, water was a vital part of my practice, I was too frugal to spend the nominal fee for a paper cup. I was expecting a class where I spent most of the time on my back melting in a pool of my own sweat. To my surprise I had a keen focus and was able to move with the words throughout the class. It changed the way I thought of about my limitations. What is holding me back? My body or my mind?

I’m currently participating in a 30-Day backbend challenge in which I perform an escalating number of backbends. Somedays I can get my hands on the floor with ease, and on other days they don’t make it that far but the overall trend is that it is getting easier walk my hands down the wall. I just set my mind to do my best and complete the task set before me. All other thoughts are erroneous. It is easiest when I set aside my own expectations and allow myself to be present in the moment.