om monday: all or nothing

i have to admit, i'm a follower of the "all or nothing" thought process from time to time.  it's not something that i'm proud of, but it's something i've come to recognize and work with.

in case you're unfamiliar, "all or nothing" thinking goes like this - "ugh, i already ate way to many sweets....might as well have some more since healthy eating is shot for today". or maybe a few obstacles come up as you begin to pursue a new venture and you throw in the towel.  all or nothing is the code of the perfectionist.  either things are perfect or they're not...there's no in between.  no gray area.  no room for growth.

credit {here}

when we harden around trying to be perfect, we close ourselves off from boundless opportunities.  yoga teaches it differently.  it's about the balance of effort and ease.  yoga lives in the zone between your current abilities and your absolute highest potential.  you cannot be a perfectionist with yoga - or you'll quit.  no one can do all the poses perfectly all the time.  the beauty of the practice comes from walking on the edge of your comfort zone and discovering in what areas you can grow.

in yoga class i have been able to let go of my "all or nothing" perfectionist tendencies.  enjoying exactly where i am, because i've seen gradual improvements from showing up day after day.  and i know that i will continue to grow.  it's not about getting full form of the pose now, it's about appreciating where my body can go today while also knowing there is unlimited potential for expansion if i keep showing up for myself.

now, the next step is to take those lessons off the mat and into my daily life.  remembering it's not about perfection, it's about practice.

namaste : )