Breakthroughs

It's always exciting to do something you've never done before. I had several students do forearm balance for the very first time this week and they were all stoked. Big smiles, high fives, "oh my gods". It reminded me of all the breakthroughs I've had in my yoga practice and how they all came with a nudge from a teacher or a colleague. Left to my own devices, I take very few risks. I err on the side of safety and though it is safe, it keeps me from those exhilarating breakthroughs and prevents me from taking things to the next level. This comes through in my teaching as well. I tend to keep things safe because I'm afraid of someone getting hurt and I don't trust my own knowledge and skill much of the time. This month, my goal was to challenge my students more and at the same time, I would be challenging myself. I decided it was time to take a little risk. Already, it has paid off--in the joyful faces of the forearm balance "first timers". Had I remained in scaredy cat land, they would not have had the opportunity to do something new. And they can do it. I have to trust them... and myself.