Your Edge, Your Practice

My yoga teacher in tonight's class repeated this phrase several times – "This is your edge, this is your practice. There are no judgments. Just breathe. This is your breath. This is your practice". Such simple advice. So simple that it can get easily overlooked. We have the capacity to easily turn something simple into something complex, don't we?

I can't count the number of times I have shunned the idea of getting to the edge for fear of failure. I remember not wanting to even go to Yoga because I was afraid I wouldn't be good enough. I hadn't practiced for a long period of time and was convinced that I would make a fool of myself if I tried. I entertained all kinds of self-limiting beliefs, giving in to my fears and doubts. 

There is a beautiful quote about standing close to the edge by American writer Kurt Vonnegut, "I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center."

This invitation, to stand on the edge, can be applied to any type of practice. It could be your yoga or meditation practice or very simply just be the practice of 'being' present to your own life. Do you give yourself permission to "stand as close to the edge" as possible?

Making it to the edge requires us to shift from the safety of the centre. Once we have "shifted" and arrived at the edge, we have the opprtunity to have a broader perspective. The view from the edge is much wider than it is from the center. When we hold ourselves back, stay restrained and constrained for the safe haven the center provides, we rob ourselves of a larger view of the world and the great potential it provides for our lives. Afraid of falling over if we leaned too much over the edge, we miss out on a whole entire universe of possibilities for our future.

How often have you missed opportunities because you played it safe? How often have stopped short of going all the way to your maximum potential? Do you talk yourself out of making an attempt because you are convinced you will fail?

Today, I hope that you will take that one extra step to move you closer to the edge. I hope that you shift a little to off-centre, get out of your comfort zone and experience something differently with a new perspective. 

Remember after all, this is your edge, this is your practice, this is your breath, this is your life. You get to choose whether you want to stay safe on the bleachers or get on the court of your life and see what happens?

I hope you play.

Thank you for being in this special space with me. What did you think about this blog, "Your edge, your practice"? What is the one action that you will take today to nudge yourself to explore your potential just a little bit more? Please share your one action item with us in the comments section below. Your sharing could help another reader on their journey of healing and transformation, so please don't hold back.