Flexibility is the Key to Success

   09/06/2009

On the mat the other day, for the life of me I could not catch my balance in warrior three.  How many times had I been in this pose, what was the problem?  Watching the weight in my foot shift around and feeling my hips jumble side to side, the frustration magnified.  The struggle continues on until finally, I took a deep breath and surrendered.  It was at this point that it all became clear: bring the focus back to the breath, bend your knee, and start from the beginning….

Rooting all four corners of my foot into the earth, I created a solid foundation from which to build.  Slowly working my way up from the base, my mind went to squaring off the hip, strong in the raised leg, flexed through the foot, until finally, I was ready to straighten the bent knee for the full expression of the pose.  Presto — I was able to hold the pose with ease for eight breaths.  Success!! 

After my practice, this experience brought on a giggle– the struggle on the mat was such an analogy for difficulties in life.  We often find ourselves in challenging situations in which things are not going the way we want or the way we think they ought to be, thus leading to sever frustration and angst.  Our reaction is to push and push, usually without success, instead of merely bending, being flexible, and adapting to the conditions of the situation.  In times like these, it is best to take a step back and try a different approach.  Begin by getting back to the foundation of the problem and connecting with the intention.  From here, allow the situation to unfold in its own time rather than trying to force a desired outcome.  Many times, when we respond accordingly rather than react, the results end more in our favor than we ever could have imagined.

There is a natural process in all things; it is important to be flexible and realize divine timing is ultimately out of our control.