If you’re like me you may have noticed that the gray days of February have finally had an impact on those previously bright and shiny resolutions of the new year. That original intention that seemed so clear, so strong, seems less so on this cold cloudy morning, and the motivation that felt so effortless is suddenly an enormous weight of entropy pulling you back under the covers. Fear not, it just means it is time to readjust your original motivation.
Most of start out with an intention that is extrinsically motivated as opposed to internally motivated. We want to beat our time in a running race, stand on our head, fit into our favorite pants, or touch our toes. But what happens when we get there, or, when we don’t? Our motivation vanishes and often sends us in the opposite direction of our desired goal. Intrinsic motivation involves falling in love with the task itself, the process as opposed to the end result.
WIthin the practice hatha yoga it is important to remember that there is no end point to a yoga pose — no place where one can say, “I did it”! Instead, like playing an instrument, there is a never ending journey of self exploration, forever deepening and expanding. A process as opposed to a product. One of my teachers always used to say, “It’s not how far you go, but how you go far”!
The reward itself is never enough to sustain us, that is why we must come to love the process itself. The process of practice that deepens the connection to our Self and, as a result, allows us to share this greater Self with others. That’s it!
Remember too that one must endure without losing tenderness, to quote from Che Guevara. Remember that along with the discipline of regular practice to incorporate
kindness, curiosity, and wonder towards one’s ever evolving self.
A truly amazing example of what I am talking about will be shown on Monday February 25th at Movie Monday, hope to see you there!