Envy is a tricky beast and she knows me well.

On a spiritual and intellectual level, I know that the goal of yoga is not to achieve handstand in the center of the room. And yet… And yet…

I want to stand on my hands. I want to stand on my hands like a real yogi!

There’s that silly mind again, pulling me away from the true purpose of the pose and the practice. Yoga is not about achieving this pose or that pose. It’s about taking the body to its edge and resting there with a heart full of love and devotion. It’s about challenging the body to do what the mind says is impossible. It’s about lifting up the body to lift up the spirit. And it’s about cultivating strength of body and strength of purpose. This is yoga.

It takes a lot of effort for me to release the ego and honor myself where I am in my practice. But once I bring my mind to that place, my legs are suddenly much lighter.