Yup, that's me in a Vasisthasana (side plank) variation. How did I get here? Certainly not on the first try. Patience and hard work were key. No matter where we are in our practice, it helps to "See the good," as one of my teachers often says.
Patience and gratitude have been on my mind a lot lately. It started, perhaps, with my students. The first recent scenario was a new-to-me student asking me if the class I was about to teach (as a sub), “is going to be athletic?” Mind you, we’d not yet started class. Some people hate to feel as if they’re wasting their time. I get that. Fair enough. But sometimes it’s good to be open to new ideas and forms of movement. And by the way, the class was indeed athletic, as I usually teach more on the vigorous side to begin with. I assure you that the student in question was challenged and then some.
The second incident was a student I know interrupting my introduction to that night’s class by saying, “Well I need to get a workout because this is my only chance to work out.” Funny, because I’ve never not challenged that particular group. But the mere fact that I’d mentioned putting some restorative poses into the mix that day apparently set off alarm bells in this student’s mind.
Then another student seemed to think forcing herself into a headstand in one of the first Yoga classes she’d ever taken was reasonable, despite explicit instructions to not force one’s way into the asana. We don’t want anyone to get hurt. Oh dear! 😦
It’s moments like these that force me, as a teacher, to take a breath, take a moment, and regroup. To remember to see the good. To turn that positive into a negative. Clearly, each of these students was having a moment of impatience, and dare I say, a moment lacking in gratitude for where they were at in their practice and lives at that very moment. Frankly, it’s hard for me not to lose my patience with them sometimes in moments like these. I’m a fiery Aries and my dosha is pitta, after all 😉
BUT on the flip side of that, they were present, enthusiastic, and wanted to work hard and be challenged. That’s actually pretty cool, when you think of it that way.
We all have moments of impatience and ingratitude. Myself included. Bet on that!
But what Yoga teaches us is how to live through these moments. How to quiet the mind so the moment can pass. How to bring gratitude into our lives. Gratitude that we are well enough to even attempt the poses. Gratitude that we are well enough to use the breath. Heck, gratitude that we are indeed breathing! Gratitude for whatever our teacher offers us.
We live in a world where instant gratification is the norm. The standard. This wasn’t always so, but today, we have cell phones, the Internet, Twitter, blogs (yes!), the grinding 24 hour news cycle, email, and countless other distractions to contend with. Can anyone say overwhelming?
The Yoga mat and the meditation practice offers us a safe space to step away from all of these distractions. It’s key that we do disconnect from all of that noise sometimes, in order to re-connect with ourselves and our higher selves!
Some days my mentor pushes us really hard in the Yoga practice. Other days, he gives us deeper, more restorative asanas to attempt in class. I’m grateful for it all. In the past, I might have felt differently, but getting deeper and deeper into the mind-body connection has taught this impatient woman a tiny bit about patience. Like another teacher I really admire often says, the Yoga has helped my mind be more open to “See the good.” And for that I’m grateful. Shanti!
West of Persia 
Very thought provoking. I find that people think feel they know it all and are set in their ways. I was also thinking about similar things today, about inflated egos. I love the quality of humbleness. I see people passing judgement on others right and left, whether it be about food, lifestyle, or whatever. This really bothers me. I miss people who are down-to-earth, this group is becoming very few and far between. Hehe, am I sounding too skeptical?
I also think it has something to do with selfishness. I know these are generalizations but the world can be very hostile.
One would assume that people entering a Yoga class would go there not only for the rigorous or athletic poses but for a holistic feeling of well-being.
We all need to take the time to be grateful for others and take other people’s perspectives into consideration.
Sorry for the long comment, Bria! 🙂
Hey Nadia! No need to apologize–I appreciate the long comment. 🙂 Agree–the whole judgment thing is troubling. Yet we all have those moments of being judgmental. Just being aware of that tendency is so important.
As for why people do Yoga, there are many different reasons. As many reasons as there are students, as a matter of fact. I find that in New York, many people are very goal-oriented and really want that workout. Yes, a generalization, to be sure. The other stuff–the holistic stuff– is secondary to people in some cases. Which is too bad, because it’s ALL so good for us. However, whatever gets them in the door, right? The deeper benefits are there–the teacher has to plant the seed of awareness and hope the student someday finds that deeper energy.
Thank you for your thoughts on this. I agree that gratitude and consideration for others is so important.
I’ve enjoyed this post, as it made me think about my own practice.
Recently, I’ve been impatient with my body that tires easily in a new class that I’m attending. More practice doesn’t seem to help this time around. I have to rethink this.
Your body and mind are both still adapting, Maninas. Plus, other factors come into play: stress levels, how well you sleep, your diet–to name but a few. All of that plays a part. I tell my students to try to show themselves the same level of kindness and compassion they give to those they really love and care about. Good luck with your new class. I’m sure that with patience, you will adapt brilliantly 🙂
Bria! Thank you for this post! I am just about to step onto the mat for today and definitely needed a reminder not to push myself beyond my limits. I’m such a raw beginner I get frustrated sometimes when I can’t get something right, but obviously you didn’t walk into your first yoga class and drop into that amazing side plank! Practice and patience…that will be today’s mantra.
Ilana, I hope your time on the mat is productive and refreshing. Yes, it’s a fine line between pushing the body and mind harder, and pushing too far. Good for you for exploring that balance. And you’d better believe I didn’t rock that side plank on the first try. Like one of my teachers says, “Falling is good. Falling is learning. Falling is progress.” Good thing, because I’ve taken plenty of falls, and still do sometimes! 🙂
What a lovely post. Just today I took a particularly challenging class and the instructor left us all with her new mantra, which was that to achieve any asana you need the 4 Ps – Patience, Practice, Perseverance & Passion. How easy it is to forget the Patience! It’s so easy to become overwhelmed and discouraged, letting the ego creep in during challenging poses and thinking, “I’ve been practicing forever! Why is this so difficult!!” How easy it is to forget that with consistent practice, through perseverance, the asana will come when you are ready for it. Having patience is key. And, well, without passion what’s the point? I still remember the first time my arm stopped shaking in side plank. I had been attending class regularly for quite some time and side plank had always been extremely difficult for me. After months of practice when I found that moment of strength in stillness I felt myself open up to the possibility of what I could be. Now, seeing how far I’ve come in my practice, how silly does it seem to ever practice without gratitude for where I am at this moment!
Hey Cynthia. 🙂 Thanks for your thoughtful reply. Love those moments when the seemingly impossible becomes merely challenging. But you’re right, those breakthrough moments don’t happen without patience. Agree with you that the poses happen when we’re ready. Sometimes our bodies are ready, but mentally we’re not in the right place. Or vice versa. Love the mantra of the 4Ps. Might have to “borrow” that for my classes 😉
You have a good weekend, hon. Hope to see you soon. Xoxo.