"Once you level up, the bosses get HARDER!"

After teaching class early this morning, I was talking to my friend and student Lionel about practice. He has been practicing more than ten hours a week yet he still confessed that class this morning was difficult. I remarked that lately, I have been extremely challenged in class, too. Yet, we both noted that as our strength improves and postures transform, that it just keeps getting harder.

I reflected back on my ten plus years learning and practicing yoga. I realize that every time I progress and evolve, that along with this movement life's problems get bigger. The practice remains important and even more so than ever as the daily grind I'm faced with gets bigger and the unexpected challenges arise with more frequency. Beyond needing physical strength, I need more emotional, spiritual and mental strength than ever. The poses help me learn to breath through the discomfort and sit with the uneasiness with ease and grace.

Yet, last night in class my mentor and teacher Roman told me he observed my breathe as short and shallow. I was falling out of poses and coming out of them before he moved us out of them. Despite being a teacher, being well practiced and having guidance from my teacher, I still managed to breathe shallow and to be taken out of ease and grace.

Its ok, though. Moments like these are great teachers. Just because I KNOW HOW to employ technique, doesn't mean I am. Just because I am reminded to use the tools in my toolbelt, doesn't mean I'll hammer the nail sticking out of the wall. By observing that I had not been utilizing the breathe fully, I can then choose to. It's ok. No need to be perfect.

Lionel said, as if life were a video game, that "once we level up, the bosses get harder." This is so true. As we level up, we can take the skills and techniques with us. And every once in a while, when the boss beats us, we can come back to using what we know works. Remind yourself, but also be surrounded by teachers and leaders. We are a community bringing one another up.

With gratitude,

Lara