(comic image obtained online from www.cartoonstock.com)
Being that our time zones are different, I was greeted by an early morning tweet by my friend with a thought provoking question, “In our asana practice, do we see it as a pursuit of pleasure or a pursuit of excellence?”.
After some reflection and after asana practice today, I think I would not last this long in this practice if ashtanga vinyasa yoga was not pleasurable. I believe that coming back day after day to this practice is motivated by enjoyment and fun.
During practice though I find myself seriously trying to improve on each asana evertime I get to it. I actually feel some guilt if I forget to do an asana or if I just let an asana slip by with mediocre practice. Is this pursuit of excellence? I think so.
Just like any sport or physical activity, pleasure will be an initial motivator for keeping you doing the activity but as one gets deeper in practice, pursuit of excellence will keep you engaged and focused.
Bottomline: My asana practice is a pursuit of pleasure and excellence!
Thanks Jon for this day’s reflection!
