Taking Child's Pose

Taking Child’s Pose

Frustration is a part of life. Unfortunately a part I think most people choose to run away from. Yet there’s much to discover in the realm of frustration, in that it brings about a huge amount of awareness.

I know yoga is about not comparing oneself to others, but I seriously can’t help it. Is it human nature to look at the body next to me and wish I could do those same balancing acts? Regardless, once I compare, I begin to judge…and never my fellow yogi but instead my own capabilities. So not fair, everyone’s different and blah blah blah. It’s impossible to turn a blind eye to such comparisons.

So, I think the solution is to stare frustration straight in the face and become curious. What does the problem really look like? How is it affecting my thoughts, my body, and my breath? Once I begin to name the obstacles they become less daunting and eventually I find ways to cope. Whether it’s breathing through a deep squat, letting myself fall over, or even the HUGE challenge of taking child’s pose when everyone else is on a roll, I can begin to unravel these feelings of frustration.

From the very start humans are conditioned to perform (especially in this country) and persist and produce perfect results. This western mindset may indeed pull us up by our bootstraps but also can yield some pretty sore feet. We work too hard, fall apart too quickly, and don’t give ourselves enough space to…God forbid…just let things happen. And I’m not even talking about religion or some master plan type phenomenon; I’m just talking about energy and the universe. The world keeps turning, and however much control we as humans think we have is probably a lot less in reality. So, my point is that the more we push to create the perfect life, perfect body, perfect job and family, the less we are aware of what is right here, right now.

Therefore, doing something like “taking child’s pose” when we feel the need to rest on our laurels (literally), can have so many negative connotations. I tend to feel like I’m weak, lazy, and will never improve if I give into my frustration and let go of a pose. But this is all in my mind. There’s life in the resting poses. There’s oxygen, and meditation, and even energy that will allow for more movement later on.

What a life lesson. There’s “life” in the times when we rest. So take a break. I dare you. And I bet you’ll come back ready to rock and roll…both on and off your mat!