expansion

You reach new levels of yourself when you seek ways to reach outside of your current bubble. If you do that enough, before you know it your world will have expanded into new spaces that no longer feel new; instead, they feel familiar and comforting.

In the restorative class tonight, my body was in desperate need from gentle intense stretching. As I melted into each pose, I felt my muscles expanding over the the props with each exhale. We took our blankets and rolled them up so we could place it underneath our shoulders created a micro back bend. When I first started this project, my body was not flexible enough for this pose to feel comfortable. Well, now that I think about it - I am not sure if my mental strength was strong enough to relax my upper back muscles so my body could bend over the blanket. Now, it gives me a comforting feeling.

Confidence comes from extending yourself into new areas of life. The risk of routine pulls at people with the facade of comfort. Yoga provides the environment of repetition combined with expansion. Each time you do a pose, you are teaching your body the position, and each time you are strengthening various muscles that play into more complex poses. Repetition into expansion. Routine founded on growth. There's no excuses because it is inevitable if you continue the "routine" of yoga that you will make progress.

It is a choice not to progress. Excuses are not valid. You will stay the same if you do not ensure your efforts to expand your interaction with the world.