Struggling in a Yoga class

I took three straight days of Vinyasa flow classes the past Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.   Taking that many classes of that type in a row is not something that I do very often lately. Many evenings, I take a four to five mile walk and then do a half hour light  stretch flow instead of doing a full flow practice.   Now that the evenings are getting darker here in the North,  I am back to taking classes more in the evening as the park I use does not have lights where I walk.

The third (Monday)  class was very hot  (at least 95f / 35c)  and there were very few moments of rest during the class.    It was a very physical flow with a long balancing series in the middle.   The instructor had us stand  on one leg transitioning between three separate balances  (Eagle to Warrior 3 and finally to Standing Split).   I had a tough time with this little series on both legs.    With the heat of the class and constant need to keep my standing leg strong and myself balanced,  it was not my best Yoga moment.    

Life would be great if we could do everything well but obviously that is not the case.   In my Yoga practice,  I will always have struggles in difficult poses as well as easy ones some days.    I have even lost my balance in a standing Mountain Pose.   The benefit of a Yoga practice is that you learn to accept the challenges and difficulties that poses give you and work toward bettering yourself in them.    Monday on the mat was a hard one,  but maybe the next time it will be easier as I will be a little stronger and a little more balanced.   

Yoga is about incremental improvements.    It takes work and dedication on the mat to make significant progress in your practice.    You suffer challenges and you work to overcome them.   I have never said   "I cannot do that pose ever" but rather I have always worked to break down poses to their component parts to make progress in them.    It is not easy, but that is why I practice.   



Namaste.

Eagle

 

 

Warrior 3

Standing Split