I’m so happy I discovered Yin.
Never in the past, had I taken the time to discover the world of Yoga, be it in any form.
I just can’t believe I never got round to it….until now.
It’s never too late, as they say.
It’s great doing an activity that allows you to live in the moment and just for a short while:
- focus on you and your body and your breathing
- focus on my lack of suppleness, lol
- wonder how I’m going to do the dragon which has so far been pure torture for my body
- ponder for a moment on what “pressed my buttons” today and then try to get it out of my system
- watch in amazement as occasionally, in my case, the breathing actually helps me gradually sink into an awkward pose (-ish, well almost…)
- escape into the soothing music and almost fall asleep
Practice – Praxis
Learning something new has always floated my boat.
I get twitchy if I don’t feel I am growing in some form or other, excluding my waist-line.
Whether it’s DIY I’m doing for the first time, reading about how to build a website, or doing some physical activity, it all keeps the brain ticking over and the heart pumping away.
It’s one thing reading about something. It’s another actually putting it into practice.
Definition of Praxis:
1. Action, Practise: such as
a) exercise or practice of an art, science or skill
b) customary practice or conduct
2. Practical application of a theory
Merriam-Webster
Praxis comes from Greek, meaning “practice, exercise, action”. It’s a great term and really brings it home to you that no matter how
- feeble
- awkward
- clumsy
- self-conscious
- lacking in confidence
- overwhelmed
- inadequate
- cack-handed
- butterfingered
- maladroit
- lubberly
- unsteady
- ungraceful
- clownish
- fazed
or inept we may feel, the least we can do, is to have a bloody good go at it.
If we can accept that we are not perfect (certainly my case), then we can start learning and see our progress however slow. We could even have a few laughs along the way.
Ok! I get it. There are no doubt certain categories where each of us is a potential non-starter.
But how do we know until we’ve actually tried it?
Imperfect Action
There can be something daunting or exciting about doing something for the first time. If we embrace “Praxis”, then we can only get better.
However, if we wait until we have achieved perfection or simply think we don’t quite make the grade or that we don’t have the aptitude, it is very unlikely that:
- we launch that personal project so dear to us
- we publish that first book
- we apply for that job out of our comfort-zone
- we ever get good at any form of DIY (tip: don’t try out plumbing on a Saturday night. The price of a plumber can be extortionate on an emergency call-out – I’ve already ticked that box…)
- we organise the first gig for the newly-formed band
I’d love to hear hear your comments on how you go about learning new things, putting it into practice and keeping up your motivation.
Feel free to leave a comment