Pulling The Weeds Out of Your Practice

When you begin to practice, you may fell very bound in your body and mind, not unlike the densely woven crabgrass of my garden.  You can choose to fight with yourself, pulling and tugging on yourself as a way to force your own metamorphosis. If you've ever encountered a weed with deep roots, you know the futility of pulling at the stem knowing full well some digging is in order?  There's a moment when you can cheerfully accept the task and set to it with full vigor, or turn sour and miserable in the face of such work.. Theres' a moment when you can resign yourself to the patient work ahead or give in to the impulse to pull at the stem before the ground has been dug deep enough. The first step is accepting that some deep work needs to be done and deciding to make this a positive, uplifting experience. - Donna Farhi


We have all over done practice at least one time.  I have done it ALOT.  I have learned over the years, the more I surrender and let the practice the better I feel physically and emotionally.  Remember the deepest expression of a posture is not always the most effective.  Your body and mind are different everyday and what you did yesterday or last month is not a measurement for where you are to day.

I see it mostly in beginners pressing themselves through a practice and pushing beyond breath.  If you can't breathe in a posture you are too far, release a little, find the breath and learn to soften into the space.  Begin to find the wonder of the practice not just the pain and ability to touch your toes.