Don't try so hard

"Perfection in an asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within is reached."
~ Yoga Sutra 2.47

This sutra or thread is one of only three out of the 196 sutras Patanjali wrote thousands of years ago pertaining to the postures or asanas of yoga.

Since I'm past the halfway mark of my pregnancy, my body is noticeably changing. I'm not sure some days what yoga poses I'll be able to do or how I'll have to modify them. At first it bothered me I wasn't able to do some poses "perfectly" - darn foot will not go all the way up to my inner thigh in tree pose anymore. My inner nature is to be competitive and to be the best (that's a Virgo for you!). However doing yoga while being pregnant really illustrates to me what this sutra is saying.

Perfectionism isn't trying so hard - according to this sutra, it's the exact opposite. To me it's saying perfection is when you're able to be in the moment and be peaceful and satisfied with the present. This works for yoga poses and for life in general. Off the mat, I try to remain calm when preparing for our new baby to arrive. It can be effortless to find a good, affordable daycare. It doesn't have to be hard not knowing the sex of the baby until it's born. It is easy to choose our child's name.

Try and make effortlessness your aim today, on and off the mat.