To Challenge Or Nurture? That is the question.

When we head out the door and make our way into a class, most of us do so because we want to get something out of it.  If we turn up and it seems as though it's not really making a difference, then we stop going.  Our compass is pointed toward finding just the right level of challenge.  However, having been in the fitness industry for many years and witnessing different yoga styles (power Vinyasa, hot yoga, etc) we most definitely meet up with challenges.  But so often, I have experienced or seen that by doing so, the concept of nurturing ourselves at the same time flies out the window. 

The harder, the better.  If it really challenges us then it must be really good for us.  Right?

Throughout my life, I have always pursued challenges.  When I see the word, it looks like CHALLENGE...all in bold and luring me into taking it.  The idea of looking after myself as I undertook the challenge was often greatly neglected.  The word

nurture was just that...seemingly small and insignificant.  I didn't realize until I started  yoga, that the two could co-habitate...if I allowed it.  I needed to invite nurturing into my challenges and guess what?  When I did, the challenge seemed more robust and kept in balance.  The challenge didn't knock me off my feet due to the simple practice of looking after myself as I pursued the next goal.

This is the beauty of advancing along our yoga path -  that we can seek to challenge ourselves and at the same time, look after ourselves in the process.  We learn to know our edge and how it fluctuates.  We begin to give less voice to the concept that how we treat ourselves is in reaction to being good or bad and more to the idea that we deserve to offer ourselves compassion and love as we step into situations that push us.

So the next time you decide to go for the gusto, check in with yourself.  Can you push to your limits without bursting through and creating havoc and imbalance.  Can you be in a strong pose or one that butts up against what you know to be familiar and take a breath of ease.  Can you soften not only excessive muscular tension but your attitude as well.

With practice and a decent dose of awareness, we can both stretch to our full potential from a place of self-love and self-care.  Isn't it time that we nurture ourselves more deeply?  Try it out and see what happens...you might just soar higher than you ever thought imaginable!