#TBT to Tuesday. I don’t usually jump on #yoga challenges, but the #LavaFloorChallenge was just too reminiscent and playful to pass up. I felt strong enough to attempt a one-armed half-lotus #mayurasana on a block. 📷 instagram.com/britanyparadisyoga Every previous attempt (over the past couple of years), my right arm and wrist were so wobbly that I fell over while attempting the setup, before even getting a chance to raise my leg or arm. This day felt different. I had just finished a very nice 60 minute heated Vinyasa flow, so my muscles were warmed up, and I was mentally in a good place. After a quick attempt on my mat where I noticed I was no longer feeling wobbly, I decided to try it on a block (avoiding the hot lava ground). The top half shows the setup where I’m trying to balance like a see-saw on my one hand, one leg and arm outstretched and barely touching the ground. Then as best as I could, I tightened my core, back, glutes. I was able to left my back leg just a bit, and at the same time, for a split second I was able to barely lift my other fingers off the ground. This felt so completely out of reach for me for so long, yet every few months or so I’d at least try a one armed mayurasana to see where I felt unbalanced, and how I fell over. It did not feel like I was making any progress at all, though I was learning new ways of falling from mere inches above the ground. But this time my arm & wrist felt strong, and finally I could focus more on engaging all the other muscles to lift up off the floor, just barely, momentarily. Just enough to now barely practice it and improve slowly. I feel there are many things in life like this, where you try something, fail awkwardly, give up for a while, try again, similar result, until one day you barely succeed, even if briefly, but just enough to know that it’s possible, possible enough to practice, to improve, and maybe one day, to hold with peace and calmness.

#TBT to Tuesday. I don’t usually jump on #yoga challenges, but the #LavaFloorChallenge was just too reminiscent and playful to pass up. I felt strong enough to attempt a one-armed half-lotus #mayurasana on a block. 📷 instagram.com/britanyparadisyoga

Every previous attempt (over the past couple of years), my right arm and wrist were so wobbly that I fell over while attempting the setup, before even getting a chance to raise my leg or arm.

This day felt different. I had just finished a very nice 60 minute heated Vinyasa flow, so my muscles were warmed up, and I was mentally in a good place. After a quick attempt on my mat where I noticed I was no longer feeling wobbly, I decided to try it on a block (avoiding the hot lava ground).

The top half shows the setup where I’m trying to balance like a see-saw on my one hand, one leg and arm outstretched and barely touching the ground. Then as best as I could, I tightened my core, back, glutes. I was able to left my back leg just a bit, and at the same time, for a split second I was able to barely lift my other fingers off the ground.

This felt so completely out of reach for me for so long, yet every few months or so I’d at least try a one armed mayurasana to see where I felt unbalanced, and how I fell over. It did not feel like I was making any progress at all, though I was learning new ways of falling from mere inches above the ground.

But this time my arm & wrist felt strong, and finally I could focus more on engaging all the other muscles to lift up off the floor, just barely, momentarily. Just enough to now barely practice it and improve slowly.

I feel there are many things in life like this, where you try something, fail awkwardly, give up for a while, try again, similar result, until one day you barely succeed, even if briefly, but just enough to know that it’s possible, possible enough to practice, to improve, and maybe one day, to hold with peace and calmness.