Many of you who were reading my blog last year may remember
that at about this same time, while teaching the throat chakra, I lost my voice
and ended up with a sinus infection. Well
last week, while teaching fire, I developed a fever and everything once again
began to settle into my sinus cavities.
It was uncomfortable.
But what was even more uncomfortable for me was having to admit that I
was sick and cancelling a few classes. I
believe that may be the first time I have cancelled for illness. I am a fire by nature – disciplined, moving
forward, convinced that “I Can”…..even when I can’t.
I felt much better on Friday and Saturday. Then last night – Sunday – my time to write
arrived. I am “supposed to write”. I “always
write on Sunday”. But my sinuses again felt full and I had zero
clarity. Nothing to write about. So again…. I stepped out of my comfort zone….and
simply didn’t write. Instead soaked in
my tub with bath salts. Feeling so much
better after. Learning that while it may
be uncomfortable, stepping back to nurture myself when needed is a good
thing.
We learn when we go into that space of discomfort. We see.
So how many of you truly believe that you create your
lives?? Let’s see a show of hands.
That you determine your future moments. That life doesn’t
just happen to you. That you are an
infinite creator….of anything that you want?
Have you been planting your intention? It always starts with a vision. Clarity of sight and planting it deep within. But then we must take those baby steps, and
many of them will be uncomfortable.
The known is very comfortable. Even when it may be negative, it often seems
easier to just keep doing the same known things than to start the wheels of
change. Staying in an unfulfilling job
or relationship, continuing to live with physical discomfort, remaining on a committee
or board for which you no longer have a passion. Sometimes less effort than stepping that big
toe out of the “comfort box” you have constructed. But in the known there is very little
growth and not a whole lot of transformation or ecstasy.
The real power of aliveness lies in the unknown. But it takes some courage to go there and
some discipline to keep moving through it even when there is discomfort.
For those of you who take yoga, think about the poses that
you believe you can’t do. The ones where
when the teacher calls for them, an UGH goes through your mind, and maybe you
decide it is a good time to get a quick drink of water or blow your nose so you
don’t have to be in it for quite as long.
The ones where you have convinced yourself that your body just doesn’t do
that.
And discomfort can come in many forms. There is the obvious physical discomfort –
like holding plank for a full minute when your arms are shaking. But there can just as easily be emotional
discomfort. Perhaps you are uncomfortable
with chest openers because you are self-conscious of your breasts. Maybe arm balancing brings fear to the
surface because of buried trust issues. Or
the shake you have in your hand may be noticed when we are asked to settle into
stillness in a pose.
For me it was seated wide legged forward fold. As a young girl taking gymnastic lessons I
could do all of the back bends but never could spread my legs and get within
even a few feet of the floor when I folded.
Ever. I watched most of the girls
as they lay flat on the floor between their legs as simply as you or I lift up
an arm. I was jealous. I
decided early on that my hip joints were just shaped differently and that I
just couldn’t do that. Who needed to be
able to do that anyway?
Then 3 years ago I went to an Erich Schiffmann workshop, and
as a 6’ 5” yogi he sat down, spread his legs, lowered down to
rest on his elbows and talked to us from there for 5 minutes. And he commented that as yoga teachers this
was one of the important poses and we should all work to do it. UGH.
So I went home and for maybe 2 months I half-heartedly
tried. But it was uncomfortable and I
wasn’t seeing fast enough progress. I began
finding reasons why I couldn’t end with that pose – seeming to always run out of
time, until finally it faded from my practice.
Who needs to do that anyway? And
besides….my hip joints are shaped differently.
Fast forward to this year when I am back again learning from
Erich and it all came flooding in once more.
This time I knew it required me to set this pose as an intention……..and
to take the baby steps toward it day after day after day after day. That to continue to grow in my practice,
which is simply a mirror of life, I had to step into the unknown with
conviction. And so I have for the last 7
months.
And you know what? My
hip bones are not shaped differently! I
can’t lie anywhere close to flat on the floor and that isn’t what this is all
about. But I can go so much deeper than
I could at 8 or 14 or 20 years old. And
while It is still uncomfortable, I have grown to enjoy the discomfort associated
with the new growth…..the possibilities…..my limitless potential.
Erich Schiffmann
What is it for you?
Set an intention and see it with an unwavering focus.
I can,
SARAH
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