Fruits of failure

Fruits of failure

Having gone through a several month long proposal process only to have it fall through this week reminded me that it's important not to dwell on the emotional part of failure. Grieve the loss, but don't let it take over your whole day. Get over the ego saying 'boy, you screwed up!', and get into the 'how would I approach this differently next time?' stage. The fun part is to see what you can learn from failed projects. Wallowing in feelings of shame after failure can not only prevent you from finding creative solutions, but it can also keep you from asking others for advice. Yesterday I read this great post about how to change your approach to failure. The author explains the trap of feeling shame which sends a message of, 'this happened because of something I am', rather than, 'this happened because of something I did'.

It's the same with yoga, but you knew I was going to say that. We have all felt stuck while practicing certain poses at one time or another, even comparing yourself to others who don't seem to struggle at all. You may even feel ashamed that you have failed in your attempts to conquer a challenging pose. A sense of failure in your yoga practice can prevent you from moving on. Say you fall down every time you try a balance pose. Instead of feeling badly about yourself, cultivate the Zen Buddhist concept of beginner's mind, and ask your teacher for help. Every seeming failed attempt is a potential for growth. Why let shame stand in the way of growth? Life is too precious for that. Your yoga practice evolves continually, and it might be that you are so focused on results that your teacher might advise you to simply admire the process. Your attitude could be the very key to your success.

Read a great quote by Thich Nhat Hanh in the studio yesterday:

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.

Celebrate your breath, let your feelings pass like clouds, do some yoga.

Love,

Fawn