Yoga Progress is Slow Progress

There's a reason they say patience is a virtue. In this day and age with instant messaging, overnight delivery, and even Netflix releasing full seasons at a time, we've basically been programmed to anticipate instant gratification in nearly any situation. And when we don't receive that instant gratification, we instantly become frustrated; ironic, isn't it?

When I first decided to start practising yoga, of course I was inspired and influenced by the countless graceful photos online - not thinking of all the time and effort the photographed person had dedicated to getting where they were. That's something I had to find out the hard way. There were many times I got frustrated with myself; my mind thinking my body could or should be able to do something, only to find that, no, my body can't do that, not yet anyway. 

In a very literal way, practising yoga is rediscovering your body. You learn to breathe differently, sit differently, walk differently, you even learn to think and speak differently. You just have to be patient with yourself. It won't happen overnight; there is no instant upgrade from beginner to master at anything. 

It can take months, even years to get from a prep pose to the full expression of that pose. Sometimes, certain body types will never be able to fully express a certain pose. Some days, even, you'll find you wont be able to go into a pose as deeply as you did the day before. You've got to listen to your body, accept what it can and cannot yet do, and not push it too far over your edge. 

The most liberating epiphany was when I realized yoga will be like learning: never-ending. I'll always be a beginner, there will always be new things to learn about my body, mind, and even spirit. There will always be progress to be made. Yoga progress is slow progress, and slow progress is better than no progress. Patience and persistence is all it takes.