Day 5: How Winning is Done

Pose # 3: Utkatasana - Awkward Pose
worldyogafoundation.com

This pose (the picture above is the last and most difficult of 3 parts to this pose) is a lot more difficult to get into and out of than it looks. Stand up with you feet approx. 6# apart (the width of both of your fists). Put your arms out in front of you, just like the picture. Press you knees together without moving your feet and slowly lower (to the count of 10) your body down till you are in the position above - you should lower yourself as if you are sliding your back down a wall - no leaning forward - SLOWLY. Keep your knees pressed together. Hold - back straight. Take a deep breath, press your knees together, and slowly bring yourself back up the same way you came down - as if your are sliding your back up the wall.

Uh Huh.

Today's class was not a big deal. It was crowded as hell, but otherwise uneventful. I had a check up at the doctors office after the class and one of the things I had to do was get weighed. I HATE weighing myself. HATE IT...and nearly had a nervous breakdown when the results were not what I had expected. I had only lost a 1 lb since last week and was freakin' pissed. I had kept the diary like the doc asked, I had worked my azz off in the gym this whole freakin week, I had done this and done that - I was rambling - having a hizzy fit....all the while my doc was telling me how great I was doing. She was happy with my diary, nothing she wanted to change and 1 lb was fantastic to her. She said it takes time. Keep up the good work, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. I was pointing fingers, I wanted to blame something, someone. I wanted to quit - quit even bothering to try.

I left the doctors with my lip poked out, feeling sorry for myself. I planted myself on the couch, turned on the TV and started watching the latest Rocky movie (Rocky Balboa). When Rocky gave this speech to his son, Robert, I felt like he was talking to me. He reminded me how winning (in anything, any goal) is done. And I'm going to keep moving forward.

Rocky: I'd hold you up to say to your mother, "this kid's gonna be the best kid in the world. This kid's gonna be somebody better than anybody I ever knew." And you grew up good and wonderful. It was great just watching you, every day was like a privilige. Then the time come for you to be your own man and take on the world, and you did.

But somewhere along the line, you changed. You stopped being you. You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you you're no good. And when things got hard, you started looking for something to blame, like a big shadow.

Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward.

That's how winning is done!

Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna bebecause of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain't you! You're better than that!

I'm always gonna love you no matter what. No matter what happens. You're my son and you're my blood. You're the best thing in my life. But until you start believing in yourself, ya ain't gonna have a life.