'it's in the minutiae that excellence happens'

The title of this blog post is actually a quote I borrowed from Robin Arzon, head instructor for Peloton, during a MasterClass. Robin is also an ultra marathoner and author, as well as presenting a series of classes for MasterClass. The topic I was reading was ‘overcoming failure’ and ‘using failure as feedback’.

You may be thinking that I’ve taught yoga for 23 years, and now have a Yoga Therapy practice; why am I thinking about failure?

Add to that, my thought process that - at age 72 - I’ve come a pretty long way so why consider this topic.

First, let’s define the word ‘failure’:

1. lack of success

2. omission of expected or required action

3. action or state of not functioning

For now, omit #3 above, because clearly I am functioning in my life and in my Yoga journey.

And, let’s talk about #1 and #2, as it relates to me and my journey:

1. lack of success - I don’t like to claim this one, since I do feel successful in many aspects of my life and my yoga. And, if you attend one of my classes, you will encounter a Yoga instructor who has yet to master handstand, many of the arm balances, urdhva dhanurasana (wheel pose), and many other poses - too many to mention here. So, yes, I have been UN-successful in areas of my practice.

   Where I have been successful is in sticking with it. I continue to try. I think of that effort as a point of success.

2. omission of expected or required action - When you come to a Yoga class or therapy session with me, you may never hear me say ‘move to child’s pose if the work is too much for you’. My challenge during an advanced practice was to keep up and still be in some shape of the pose - so, I worked many of the advanced poses from a modified shape.

   When applied to Yoga, #2 is another way of saying ‘modify’. I may or may not offer modification ideas, depending on the pose. I do suggest that this is the student’s/client’s practice and that they will learn over time what their body/mind/breath handles well. I am hopeful that my teaching will lead students/clients to self-awareness and the ability to modify a pose/movement — even if a part of the pose of omitted.

   Going back to #1 — success is trying; making an attempt at a pose, even if it is modified.

All this to say, my classes/sessions may often focus on the minutiae - how we place the hands, where the gaze rests, how to engage and use the solar plexus region (the seat of our heart chakra) to strengthen our poses, etc., etc.

It is in the small things that our Yoga journey gains a quality of svadhyaya (self-awareness) and the quality of self-awareness brings excellence.

Until next time . . .