Holler at ya chaturanga

The four things I learned from (35) days of yoga.

• Patience - I'm one of the most impatient people you will ever meet. I don't put up with nonsense or leave room for mistakes. But after day 2 I realized I had to calm the fuck down with these expectations if I plan to complete the challenge. I'm not saying I have the calm demeanor of Mother Theresa now, but I'm definitely learning to use my breath outside of class to increase my patience level. I can't control everything. Some things need time, simple as that.
• Compassion - To me, this was the most surprising and important lesson of the challenge. All the yoga teachers describe compassion as the art of "letting go," and at the end of class one night, I dropped everything as I surrendered to my mat. I saw my expectations rise above me, an ominous cloud waiting to cast lightning on any wrong move. And then I cut myself some slack and let it all go. I'm starting to understand that compassion is first and foremost a gift to yourself. As the wise Dalai Lama once advised, "If you don't love yourself, you cannot love others. You will not be able to love others. If you have no compassion for yourself then you are not able of developing compassion for others."
• Strength - This was a no brainer. I am in great shape right now and feel stronger than ever before. But the strength you gain from yoga transcends muscles and flows through the spirit. And in this sense I'm not as strong as I think I am. The confidence I need to be certain in my actions or inaction is not quite there, yet which I guess is a testament to the practice of yoga as merely practice. It's something you can always improve on and develop over time. You can always grow stronger.
• Acceptance - I will continue to work on this one for a very long time. Acceptance by itself is a challenge. Every day is different and things are constantly changing. Sometimes things go my way, but most of the time they won't. This is something that I need to accept with steadfast patience, endearing compassion, and enduring strength. There's a meaning to life, I know it. Perhaps that is why I am so relentless in my struggle to find out what it is. But what this challenge has taught me is that I need to slow things down, accept things for what they are, and be content santosha with exactly where I am now. The answers will come sooner or later. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.