It's ok!

I'm not sure what it is that puts so much pressure on us to succeed. Even with Yoga I find myself trying to achieve. I even talk about it as climbing a peak. But even though I think and try to believe things like "It's the journey, not the destination" or "It's the climb, not the summit" I still want to reach the destination. I still want to reach the summit. Recently we went backpacking to Nine Lakes Basin with the possible goal of climbing Mt. Stewart. When we got there I knew I wasn't going to try for the summit and I was disappointed for a moment. Eventually I realized that where we were was enough. It was a beautiful hike and had I considered not summiting something a "failure" I wouldn't be doing the trail and all of its highlights justice.

I think that this is sort of what we talk about when we say the purpose of yoga is yoga. Or when we practice non-attachment or any of those other challenging yoga concepts that make us pause. Take the meditation practice I have been writing about lately. We want to be good at it. We want it to be easier. What about just witnessing? What about how awesome the present is? What about how much we learn about ourselves because of the challenge?

Maybe we shouldn't set out to change. Maybe we just set out to "witness" and change happens on its own... or it doesn't. Where we are going is important but where we are could be enough.