"Are you OK with being uncomfortable?"

The other day I was chatting with the man that owns the store where I buy my cat food. He was talking about how he just finished getting his motorcycle license. Being in Seattle (and yes, it rains almost everyday in the winter), I asked him how riding was in the city and he said it was not so bad. I commented that it is something that I had always I'd wanted to try. He then asked "Are you OK with being uncomfortable?" And I actually started to laugh. The first thing that popped into my head was, "Well of course, I practice yoga."

Many aspects of yoga are uncomfortable, we sweat, move, contort, flex and stretch our bodies in class. Now I can hear myself echoing my wonderful teacher and friend, Jude, but what those many moments of discomfort on the mat have provided me with is the ability to see how I deal with being uncomfortable in my life. Do I immediately back off when I feel uncomfortable in a pose? Do I try to distinguish if I am feeling pain where I shouldn't, or is the pose just difficult and I am building strength? If I ease off a little, can I still stay in the pose, but find more comfort in it?

And who doesn't have discomfort in their daily life? How do I deal with a difficult work day? Or a fight with a friend or loved one? Do I back away from, rush through or ignore the problem? Or do I find another way to approach the uncomfortable situation?

This lesson that has been taught to me for years (again, thanks to Jude) is just starting to sink in. How I approach my time on the mat is a reflection of how I approach other aspects of my life. Now that I can really see it in my asana practice, it is time to see it in my everyday life.

Alright, off to practice yoga where I hope to find more comfort in the uncomfortable.