Stretching Your Limits

Posted on November 24, 2009 | 0 comments

Once you’ve made a conscious decision about something you want in your life, the real fun begins!

photo by englishpianobloke

As you begin to move from the more passive, reflective phase of Choosing to the more active phase of Creating you will very quickly find that you need to stretch your limits.  After all, you have chosen to live a life that is bigger than it was before, so it’s only natural that you will need to make room for the new you!

When I first tried yoga, I started with a “Yin class” which is focused more on increasing flexibility than on strength or balance.  I was amazed at how stiff I was and at how tight many of my joints were.

You’ll probably notice something similar when you begin to create your new life.  You’ll notice how comfortable you’ve become with your old patterns, old thinking and old habits.  You’ll also notice how difficult it can be to stretch beyond those old limitations.

And this is where the secret comes in!

In the yoga studio, the instructor advised me to do my best to get the most out of each new stretch.  When it felt like I was at the limit, I was to hold it there and just “breathe into it”.  At first, that sounded like new age silliness.  What the heck does “breathe into it” mean?

But as I focused on my breath I began to notice that each stretch was gently increasing.  Soon, things began to shift and move and what seemed impossible just a few moments before was now within my reach.

It’s the same when you begin to take action towards your new life.  The key is to let go of thoughts like:

• “This is so far out of my comfort zone!”
• “I wonder if I’m doing it right?”
• “When will I start to be comfortable with this?”

and the many others that will pop up for you as you begin to step into action.  Simply stay focused on the present moment.  After all, as I wrote in the Mortality Manifesto: fear is based on an imagined future, therefore focusing on the present makes us fearless!

Before you know it – your limits will have expanded and your life experiences will certainly follow suit!