To Challenge or To 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.  What I have witnessed over many years in the fitness and yoga (especially power vinyasa and hot yoga) industries is an over-emphasis on physically challenging the participant. With this over emphasis on the physical aspect the concept of self-nurturing tends to be ignored. 

The harder, the better.  No pain, no gain.  If it really physically challenges us then it must be really good for us. Right?

Throughout my life I have always pursued different challenges. Many are physical in nature and some push my will and confidence. When I see the word, it looks like CHALLENGE...all in bold and luring me to take 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 I kept in a better state of balance. The challenge didn't knock me off my feet because the simple practice of looking after myself helped to define my boundaries.

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?  Can you lead from your heart rather than fulfilling the perceived need of the ego?

With practice and a decent dose of humble awareness, we can both stretch to our full potential and do so  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!