Here's why I love yoga: It's not for the health benefits, although there are many; it's because yoga always reminds its practitioners that where you are is exactly where you're supposed to be.
Yesterday I was in my yoga class and the instructor told us to move through the posture until we couldn't move any further, in other words until we got stuck. Then he said, "Where you're stuck is exactly where you're supposed to be." I've heard this many times in yoga; this time it struck me a little differently.
We all get stuck, not just in yoga but in life. There are issues we keep having over and over - with our loved ones, with our work, with ourselves. In yoga we are taught to stay in the stuck place, breathe and trust. Sometimes we need to wait for our bodies to stretch, relax and become ready to move further. Sometimes we need to wait for our awareness to change and reach that "ah ha!" moment (e.g., My foot is supposed to go this way, not that way!) Sometimes we need an instructor to gently show us how to move out of the stuck place. No matter which situation, it always takes patience and gentleness with ourselves. When we finally become un-stuck, we are stronger, wiser and have learned something invaluable about our bodies, our will and our inner-strength.
We can apply all of these principles to life. Think about an aspect of your life where you keep getting stuck: a relationship that returns to the same conflict over and over, a habit you can't break, something that scares you, etc. Perhaps you are stuck because it's exactly where you're supposed to be. Don't get me wrong, I do not believe anyone should suffer or stop striving for happiness. What I am suggesting is that there may be a reason you are stuck. There may be an opportunity for you to grow in some way that you haven't been able to attain yet. Just like in yoga relax, breathe, cultivate gentleness towards yourself and embrace the opportunity to grow.
