One of the lessons from a physical yoga practice is how it helps us see what is not helping. Gritting my teeth has never made the burn in my front thigh go away during half or full bind. But it has consumed more energy and so made things a bit more difficult to manage during an already difficult moment. Then there is the impact of trying to do all the chaturangas a teacher offers during the 6th teacher audition in a row. Simply too much.
Seeing this too-muchness when we are fatigued or pushing too hard on our mats is a powerful skill unto itself. First it enables us to take better care of ourselves. From that space we can better care for those around us, especially those closest. But I’m beginning to see a second benefit of developing our awareness of “too much”. With that vision, or Drishti as we often call it, we develop the courage to eliminate the non-essential. And I am finding that as I trim back the inconsequential something wonderful is starting to unfold: My confidence is growing.
It’s not that I’m suddenly able to do all the things that I’d set out to accomplish in life with a newfound miraculous knowledge and skill. It’s simply that I have more time for the important work because I am doing less. And with more time devoted to those things, they begin to progress more rapidly. And before I know it, some of those major projects or challenges I set my heart on are actually moving forward at a solid pace. And how do I feel about that? Well, like perhaps I really can accomplish my dreams. And that boosts my confidence.
Take a look and see what may be cluttering your life and hence bogging down your confidence. From a small bit of courage to trim things away, you may just find greater courage to live your Deep Yes!