I’ve been doing Bikram yoga now 3-4 times per week for three months. It’s 90 minutes in a room that’s 39-40 degrees Celsius.
There are two lessons that are relevant to life that have really struck me:
When things get hard, the best approach is to lean into them
When it’s super-hot and you’re holding a tough position, there are times when you just want to escape. But the more you try to avoid the feelings, the worse they become.
The best way through, is through.
By leaning into the challenge, it passes much faster and there’s a huge feeling of accomplishment on the other side, a feeling that isn’t there when you shy away.
Go all in, then all out
In yoga, we go from positions to lying on our backs in a position called savasana. The best approach is to give 100% in the position, then switch off completely, mind and body, when in savasana.
Isn’t this like a successful life? All in on things that matter, then time to recharge.
In my research into doctor burnout, I have found that resilience is directly proportionate to recuperation. Muscles grow when they are taken to their limits, then allowed to repair through rest.
So, how can you apply these lessons in your life? Even better, give yoga a go because it’s awesome.
One of the greatest lies we tell ourselves is that we’re falling behind. That someone else is ahead.
As a young man I associated strength with force; louder voices, sharper opinions, firm lines in the sand.
There’s a strange kind of pride we’ve developed in being exhausted. But even lions, the king of the jungle, rest.
I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't have ambition.
We sometimes believe strength means self-sufficiency — that being independent means being isolated.
We often try to outrun the storm, emotionally, physically, spiritually.
We’re entering an age where machines do our thinking before we’ve even had a chance to try.
In church the other day, the pastor gave a sermon that really stuck with me. He talked about two people.