I have this conversation with students all the time, and it came up again the other day with some athletes after I demoed an arm balance… I responded that it’s not easy, it’s just that I have been practicing for many years, over 18 in fact!
More often than not, something that seems easy quite likely took many hours and years of work and practice to get to that point. For every one video or photo of me holding a challenging pose, there are hundreds more of me trying, falling, frustration, resting, thoughts of giving up but then trying again. It’s not easy and will take many more hours of practice before it looks and feels even a little bit easier.
This is what I love so much about Yoga… it’s a practice I’ve been working on for years and still there is always more to learn, always something new to work on, and always opportunities for growth. It has taught me patience, discipline, and acceptance. Every day is different and you just get to work with what you have that day. After working on a skill for awhile, eventually I have to say “good enough for today” and be content with the progress.
Keep this in mind when it looks like others somehow experience overnight success or like everything seems easy for them, it’s more likely that they have been grinding behind the scenes for years and you might just be noticing it now.
Keep in mind when you are working on a challenging goal that you will have to grind through it and be resilient when it gets hard or when you get frustrated. Keep showing up. Keep going. Keep practicing.
Check out the Reel I posted today: