I know that change is truly hard. To actually realize that something exists in your world that you would like to alter is a huge step towards greater awareness. Often, we float through the years making the same choices until one day we recognize that these familiar choices are no longer serving us. Something needs to shift.
Sometimes it's a relatively small step, like setting your alarm clock to get up 15 minutes earlier so you don't feel so harried in the morning. You give yourself that bit of wiggle room to actually enjoy your hot cup of tea, check your inbox, take a few breaths and glide into your day. At other times it's a much larger commitment.
Over the last few months, I have seen people ready to make a commitment to something new in undertaking my yoga teacher training course. It takes a certain leap of faith to launch yourself into deeper study, particularly if you haven't studied yoga with me previously. You trust that your gut urging you forward is the right thing to do. And then, as you begin the course you start to feel many moments of discomfort. You're being asked to step in front of people and "instruct" for perhaps the first time in your life. You're asked to try new things and think about how you maybe have done a yoga pose before in a completely new way.
Often when we feel uncomfortable the negative self-talk begins to arise. We question, "What was I thinking? and Why did I want to pay good money and spend my weekends doing this?". You begin to wiggle in your own skin and maybe even feel a knot beginning to take shape in your stomach.
I recently had a conversation with a friend who had asked me to mentor her, particularly in the area of functional anatomy. We began this journey a number of months ago and as the yoga teacher training was taking form, she wanted to participate in some of the modules specific to her needs. As the time got closer, her doubt grew. She began second guessing that she could do it..."I don't know if I can afford it. It's a long, intense weekend and I have to work first thing Monday morning. I don't know if it's where I want to be heading in this moment." The doubts and objections grew as the time to commit grew closer.
As I listened to her I heard fear in her voice. The feeling that the unknown was lurking and so one response was to withdraw and run away. My response to her objections was this: "Many months ago this is what you asked for, that's why I'm holding your feet to the fire. You built the fire and I'm just a reflection of what you said you wanted."
I could almost hear her gasp at the other end of the phone. "Oh my! You're right", she said. This was followed by a pregnant pause before we agreed that sleeping on it was probably a good idea. A few days later, my friend called enthusiastically saying she was ready to undertake the training. She realized that this was what she had asked for and doubt had crept up and gotten in the way, nearly sabotaging her willingness to move into something that was new and unfamiliar.
Being uncomfortable is a natural side effect of change. When we feel uncomfortable, we can recognize it as an opportunity to do something different, to challenge ourselves to simply be okay as we're experiencing the discomfort. What often happens is that the unfamiliar and uncomfortable feelings begin to lose their power over us and becomes part of the familiar.
That's called evolution. So as we venture into the unknown, remember that when you feel like squirming, it's likely a reflection of your own growth. Reach out and into the new expanse and enjoy!
Sometimes it's a relatively small step, like setting your alarm clock to get up 15 minutes earlier so you don't feel so harried in the morning. You give yourself that bit of wiggle room to actually enjoy your hot cup of tea, check your inbox, take a few breaths and glide into your day. At other times it's a much larger commitment.
Over the last few months, I have seen people ready to make a commitment to something new in undertaking my yoga teacher training course. It takes a certain leap of faith to launch yourself into deeper study, particularly if you haven't studied yoga with me previously. You trust that your gut urging you forward is the right thing to do. And then, as you begin the course you start to feel many moments of discomfort. You're being asked to step in front of people and "instruct" for perhaps the first time in your life. You're asked to try new things and think about how you maybe have done a yoga pose before in a completely new way.
Often when we feel uncomfortable the negative self-talk begins to arise. We question, "What was I thinking? and Why did I want to pay good money and spend my weekends doing this?". You begin to wiggle in your own skin and maybe even feel a knot beginning to take shape in your stomach.
I recently had a conversation with a friend who had asked me to mentor her, particularly in the area of functional anatomy. We began this journey a number of months ago and as the yoga teacher training was taking form, she wanted to participate in some of the modules specific to her needs. As the time got closer, her doubt grew. She began second guessing that she could do it..."I don't know if I can afford it. It's a long, intense weekend and I have to work first thing Monday morning. I don't know if it's where I want to be heading in this moment." The doubts and objections grew as the time to commit grew closer.
As I listened to her I heard fear in her voice. The feeling that the unknown was lurking and so one response was to withdraw and run away. My response to her objections was this: "Many months ago this is what you asked for, that's why I'm holding your feet to the fire. You built the fire and I'm just a reflection of what you said you wanted."
I could almost hear her gasp at the other end of the phone. "Oh my! You're right", she said. This was followed by a pregnant pause before we agreed that sleeping on it was probably a good idea. A few days later, my friend called enthusiastically saying she was ready to undertake the training. She realized that this was what she had asked for and doubt had crept up and gotten in the way, nearly sabotaging her willingness to move into something that was new and unfamiliar.
Being uncomfortable is a natural side effect of change. When we feel uncomfortable, we can recognize it as an opportunity to do something different, to challenge ourselves to simply be okay as we're experiencing the discomfort. What often happens is that the unfamiliar and uncomfortable feelings begin to lose their power over us and becomes part of the familiar.
That's called evolution. So as we venture into the unknown, remember that when you feel like squirming, it's likely a reflection of your own growth. Reach out and into the new expanse and enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment