The importance of stepping out of your comfort zone and taking risks

Beautiful weather finally arrived in New England yesterday. After nearly a week of windy, cold, and sometimes rainy days, the nice summer-like weather has put a new pep in my step. What about you?

Yesterday was even more special because I got to have lunch with one of my yoga students. Yes, an in-person lunch!! We enjoyed sitting on the patio of a French restaurant on Newbury Street in Boston, having an amazing conversation, watching people stroll by, and indulging in French cuisine. There might have also been a Molten chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream involved, but that is hearsay. 😉

We talked about our families, our fur babies, our travel plans, investing in start-ups, and yoga. One of the things that really stuck with me is her comment that we need to "try new things and see what sticks." I had shared with her that I sometimes hesitate to put out new yoga offerings because I'm afraid I'll look foolish if nobody signs up.

She is absolutely right.

“Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Yet how often do we stop ourselves from trying something new because we are afraid we might fail, afraid of what others will think, afraid of looking foolish?

What if we turned this type of thinking around and instead asked ourselves:

• what if it's a spectacular success?
• what would I learn from this new adventure?
• could I enjoy this new activity without even thinking about the outcome?

When I came home from our luncheon, I flipped through a book of yoga poems. I like to read yoga poems while I prepare yoga sequences for upcoming classes. It puts me into the right mindset.

In Danna Faulds' book "From Root to Bloom: Yoga Poems and Other Writings", I came across a poem titled "Maybe Not". It perfectly describes the importance of taking risks and trying new things.

I want to share this poem with you:

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As I experiment with some new yoga classes (some will succeed and some will be less successful), I invite you to pour yourself a cup of tea and consider the following questions:

• Make a list of your bigger failures. What did you learn from each one? (Alain de Botton)
• What is the worst possible scenario if I take “x” action? What can I do to limit the downside? (Stoics)
• If I had no fear today, what would I do? (Eleanor Roosevelt)

Best,

Christine

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Wellness & Yoga with Christine

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