Yoga is so much easier in the bath. All those poses where I have to lift my entire body weight just using my hands - piece of cake. The poses where I have to put a leg behind my head- easy. (Well... perhaps 'close' to my head.) Forward folds - easy peasy- you can't go too far or you'll drown.

In the bath I am light, strong and almost elegant. On the mat, where there is that annoying thing called gravity, things are different. Some days I can fold into a pretzel and other days I am just a heffalump disguised as a yogi. Each day is different and you just can't have any expectations.

If yesterday I was able to do the splits, I expect to be able to do it today. And when I can't, I feel as though I must not be working hard enough to get there, I don't feel I am improving. I feel as though my practice isn't what it should be and disappointment creeps in. Although this being a relatively 'normal' response, it's nonsensical.

Most probably I am working harder to achieve my goal, because it is frustrating me that I can't do it and so I push further and harder, probably ignoring the signals from the body. (Which if I actually listened to, might let me know why today is a 'non splits day'.) This yearning to always be better, achieve more, go further, faster, better. But further, faster and better than what? Surely improvement in yoga terms would be acceptance that today my body isn't willing to do the splits and having the self awareness to understand why?

Where is it written that what you did yesterday is what will happen today?

We take our way of life for granted and then suddenly something extraordinary happens. We loose our job, get ill, a global pandemic and then suddenly again we feel frustrated, cheated and disappointed. It's human nature. But 'extraordinary' to whom? We just see things from our perspective. That job you lost, gave someone else a chance. That illness you had, helped a doctor hone his skills. That global pandemic made you re-evaluate your life.

Don't get me wrong, I want to do the splits every time I try. I want to be able to build upon things I have achieved. I'm not sitting here in lotus singing 'Always look on the bright side of life', but I am wondering whether the next time a sense of failure and frustration threatens to take over, because things are not meeting my expectations, perhaps there is a way to step back and accept where we are at? And while we are at it, rejoice in the things we have and can do?

Perhaps...

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