Pushing Through

I started working with a personal trainer for the first time this summer. My main goal was to “stop being a wus” when it comes to pushing myself beyond my own comfort zone. While I’ve been pretty active throughout my life, I have never really taken my physical body past my own status quo. Luckily, I’ve managed to stay pretty lean, lean that is, until after having three kids at ages 32, 34 and 36. I’m now 41 and I will be courageous and admit that I have been carrying around a good 20-30 extra pounds ever since.

I’ve been known to work out with videos - Cher, Reebok, Billy Blanks Kick Box, Yoga/Booty/Ballet and most recently Jillian – to name a few! I’ve also been known to “trot” from time to time. I wouldn’t go as far as calling it “running,” but I have been taking it to another level this past summer having completed my first 5K with a 10-minute mile pace. I’m surrounded by runners – Ken, his brother Chad and their Dad. They’ve all done marathons and the like. I can see the allure. My sister just did her first half. So proud!

I’ve run twice with my trainer and each time I struggled. Of course he was pushing me to go faster than I normally would. He does the same thing in the gym when I’m lifting weights or trying to beat my personal best for a certain exercise. Too often I find myself giving up. Stopping. Telling myself that it just feels too uncomfortable and so I should give myself a break. Why do I do this? Sure, since starting my training I’ve become better at not doing this as much, but this natural inclination is still with me.

So how do I move beyond these self-imposed limitations in my life? The truth is, I do this in other areas as well, not just exercise. I’m still not achieving my goal of consistently getting up at 5 am each morning to write and create. Mainly because it’s “uncomfortable” getting out of my warm bed! As I become stronger in my body and mind, I am realizing the importance of pushing through. Pushing though the “momentary discomfort” of running just a little bit faster than I normally would or getting out of bed even though it’s much easier to stay put. Like anything else, the more you do, the easier it gets!

This is what we do in yoga too. When a particular pose gets challenging, we explore how we are feeling, what thoughts might come up for us. The sensation is temporary – Heather reminds us – and we are all capable of breathing through the discomfort to get to the other side. We practice this on the mat and then we take what we’ve learned and apply it to our daily lives. Ah, the true beauty of yoga!

I’m going to continue to push through these temporary sensations of discomfort so that I can grow stronger each day. In challenging my boundaries and limitations, I’m realizing that I can do a lot more than what I think I’m capable of. I’m training my mind as I’m training my body. Pretty soon, pushing through will be a piece of cake.