Wish Life Were Simple – Compare or Not?

“Do not compare yourself  to other people”

This may be one of the first sentences you heard in your yoga class, followed by “Let go of competition”, “This is your practice”. You take it to heart and close your eyes tightly, so you would not look at those flexible  people around you, who I swear have not one bone in their bodies, yes, you close your eyes, you focus inside, follow the directions… and it works.

You stay mentally on your mat, and then after a couple of weeks, you hear your teacher’s voice while you are in the Pigeon Pose (Eke Pada Rajakopasana) “Remember this sensation and compare it to the other side”.

As you grunt your way out of that pose, something clicks in your brain  ” Are we supposed to compare or not?”

Of course you do not ask that question, because nobody else does, and you do not want to draw attention to a big black hole of your yoga in-experience.

That question safely pushed aside, you continue your practice, at your own pace, and you are quite proud of yourself. You feel you are accepting your own body (finally!) and your limitations.   One day you are in the middle of backbands, and you are wisely staying with your version of the Bridge pose, ignoring the calls for the Wheel Pose. No, thank you very much,  you know your boundaries, your body is saying no. As you rest after the Bridge (Setu  Bandha Sarvangasana), you look around, and everybody in the room is in the Wheel!

What is up with  that? What do you do now? Stay safely in the Bridge (photo above) or go into unknown scary territory of the Wheel (below)? Compare and compete or let it be?