Perspective and Frustration in Yoga

I took three hot classes in the past few days (plus some at home Yin) with three separate teachers .     Two of the classes involved teachers who were new to me and who were hands on in adjustments  (which is unusual for me and they did ask before the class started if it was OK to do so).    It is interesting to be adjusted in poses that you thought you were doing OK.   I guess the learning there is that nothing can be done perfect and that there is always an adjustment to be made.

Last night I really struggled with balance poses.   My back was tighter than normal and even though I was able to do a tree pose in the office for what seemed like forever  on each side(during a conference call with the speaker phone on it is a great thing to do) ,  I really had a hard time in tree and airplane and was not able to do a half moon at all even with a block.     Balances were just not happening.    It was frustrating in that I  I know that I can do them at other times but my body was just saying to me 
"It's 8PM,  you are hungry,  tired and hot and I am not letting you do this right now" .    This is one of the paradoxes I face in my Yoga practice.   I have always been a competitive person and not being able to do a pose can be frustrating.    I think it happens to us all.    We by nature want to see progression and in Yoga,  progress can be very slow and sometimes you body (because Yoga does tax it to its limits some times) just does not want to do what you would expect it to easily do.   I would not say it is maddening but I think it goes against our thinking that once you can do something,  you can always do it.

If I look at things in perspective and over the last 2+ years of practicing, my  Yoga capabilities  (I am struggling with the words here) has increased and I can easily do poses I never thought possible even one year ago.   What I am trying to say is that Yoga is a practice and a way of life.  It will have its ups and downs but over time,  the ups will far exceed the downs.   I have to stick with it and know that it is my practice,  no one is judging me and what I can do today I may not be able to do tomorrow and visa versa.Who knows,  I may even be able to do side crow some day..

Namaste.