Obstacles & Understanding Your Capacity

Yoga Sutra 1.30 - “Yoga practice is like an obstacle course … They are there to make us understand and express our own capacities.”

Reflecting on the past few weeks and months, I am reminded that life will present itself with more unexpected than expected obstacles. Often, these obstacles initially feel frustrating, disappointing, heartbreaking, or even insurmountable. I often ask myself, “How I will get through this??”

In sitting with these feelings and witnessing them with a sense of curiosity and compassion during my yoga practice, I am able to better understand what is truly going on emotionally and physically. What sensations do I notice in my body? Which thought or feeling is the most vocal? Are the sensations and thoughts/feelings connected to one another? If so, do I continue to observe them? Or do I explore them so I can better understand what is going on?

In slowly embracing life’s obstacles, I am paving the way to better understanding and expressing my own capacity by holding space for the feelings that arise and better understanding what is going on within me, physically and emotionally. This allows me to shine a light on whether my perception of the obstacle(s) holds true. I can then step back from my perception to figure out how to navigate through the obstacle with a greater sense of equanimity, confidence, and ease.

In doing so, I am able to heal, let go, or learn a valuable lesson, all in preparation for the next obstacle in my path.

#obstacles #understandyourcapacity #yogasutra #youarecapable #youarepowerful #youareworthy