Ann Strong, offering spiritual business and life coaching to support small business owners in building their lives and businesses on their own strong spiritual foundation and their natural strengths and gifts.

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Self improvement: the irony of becoming a better person by doing something I do so poorly (day 14)

Posted by Ann Strong on Thu, Mar 05, 2009 @ 10:52 PM
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Driving home from yoga today, I realized that I am a much more patient, kind, compassionate driver on the drive home from yoga than on the drive to yoga.

Even though my yoga studio is a mile from my house, I almost always drive. And the past few weeks, I've tended to run late. I don't fully stop at the stop signs and I'm impatient at the lights. And annoyed with myself for running late.

Taking the same route home, I'm present and fully stopped at stop signs, allowing others at four-way stops to go first. I enjoy the time at the red lights and praise myself for giving myself the gift of yoga.

Having practiced yoga for only a few months, I have yet to be able to do a pose exactly how it's suppose to be done or for the full length of time. Quite humbling for a girl who likes to be great at everything! So, somewhere during each class, I let go of judgment, impatience and the need to be great. I surrender to whatever is. Even when it looks ugly and hurts - two of my least favorites!

And then I drive home in that surrendered bliss - how great is that?!?

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Comments

Yay, Ann! That's EXACTLY the point of yoga! Similar to our lives, we realize at some point that we aren't gaining anything by keeping ourselves uncomfortable in order to prove we are good at something, and we can let go and breathe into the pose (or the situation) and allow it to be exactly how it is and then learn from it. We are more open to spotting the gifts if we aren't trying so hard. Besides, who ever said in life that we have to stay in discomfort? It's so much better to have the power of choosing to alter, adjust, and breathe enough to make ourselves comfortable and present in what we're doing. :D
Posted @ Friday, March 06, 2009 12:37 PM by Suzi Pomerantz
Thank you, Suzi, for your insight - from one who's been learning from yoga much longer than I have! 
 
I sort of had the idea that I'd better get comfortable with discomfort. I like your idea a whole lot better!!!
Posted @ Friday, March 06, 2009 8:09 PM by Ann Strong
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