Bringing back the C-word
I have just submitted my application to sit for the Iyengar Yoga assessment in October. It's been 2-years since my last attempt and I feel like it's time to make the commitment and try again. Yes, we're talking about THAT C-word...
The feedback I had received was to go deeper in my personal practice, to work on getting my back heel down and become more grounded.
This was not new information - I've been trying to get my heels down in Ardha Mukha Svanasana (downward dog) since I started practicing yoga, back in 2009!
At the time though, I felt like the assessors were asking for too much. I thought they were being too hard and I might never be able to meet their expectations and pass the assessment process. It felt like an impossible task.
So, I took all my thoughts and plans about assessment and swept them under the couch for a while...
After some time, my fellow yogis began to ask, "will you go for assessment again?" and I would respond with stories about my heels or other personal issues...
But I wasn't really waiting for the perfect pose or a drama-free life. I was avoiding the three-day assessment process and potentially failing again. As long as I didn't commit or submit my application, I didn't have to deal with it again.
Have you been avoiding something difficult for a while? When was the last time you set a big personal goal and worked steadily towards it?
In the meantime, I kept practicing. To me, the benefits of yoga are undoubtable so, I focussed on being a student of yoga, rather than aiming for assessment.
Taking the pressure off was refreshing and enjoyable. But I knew that I could keep telling the same stories and making the same excuses for a lifetime...
At some point I needed to move forward and make the commitment. My heels still DON"T go down but they're getting there. I'm not perfect, and may never be, but my practice has deepened and I'm emotionally ready to try again!
We have so many quick and easy options these days, it would be far easier to keep making excuses and putting things off...
But isn't it time to stop being afraid of what 'could' happen and just give it our best shot? Let's be brave and embrace the C-word - because no matter what happens, we can always come back to the mat and practice yoga right?!
"Even if fear comes, accept it and find the courage to come through it."
- BKS Iyengar, Light on Life
