I was sitting in the car this morning, feeling very good about myself. Not only because it’s a new day and the music was good, but also because of my driving. Now, it wasn’t always like that. I don’t like driving in the first place, I prefer walking, so I would avoid the car if possible. And, teaching my European brain to operate a vehicle on this island wasn’t exactly an easy task. I remember very clearly tensing my whole body when I was driving in London at the beginning. I felt so much tension as if I had to use my own strength to transport the car through space.
Well, not anymore. I am even able to enjoy driving at the moment. And the reason for it is that I have been driving almost every day in the past four years. My brain and my body are so used to it that I don’t have to be consciously thinking about it anymore. It has become easy to drive a car.
That’s what we call practice.
I have been practicing yoga for a couple of decades now. A big chunk of that time was dedicated to the Ashtanga tradition which was basically doing the same sequence of poses 5 time a week. It was hard for a long time and then it became easier. I can’t say easy, because yoga has such ever unfolding depths that it can be challenging after any number of years. But easier. And at that point I began to question if doing the same thing day after day is benefiting me. My brain and my body were so used to it that I didn’t have to be consciously thinking about it anymore.
And here comes the tricky bit
Staying in my comfort zone, where things are familiar and easy, feels good. But it also hinders growth. If I don’t change something at this point, I won’t get better. I need to upgrade to driving, let’s say, a truck, or to move away from same familiar routes, otherwise I won’t develop my driving skills anymore. If I don’t get uncomfortable, I won’t improve.
And while I have no further ambitions for my driving, nowadays I make sure my yoga practice varies and that it actually includes stuff I don’t really like doing. The real hard stuff, which might be doing a pose that makes my muscles tremble, challenging my balance a bit more or sitting quietly with myself for ten minutes.
So, if you wish to challenge your brain and your body, do come and try a yoga class. You might surprise yourself with what you can achieve when you practice regularly.
Related articles:
About Clarity and Confusion: My Decade of Being Lost
What is Parasitic Tension and How to Start Getting Rid of It
