balance

[Guest guest]

Someone told me this great (short) story which I

would like to pass on. Learning how to let go of an

'all or nothing' attitude has been big for me and

something else yoga has taught me how to do and allows me

to practice every day. Living with an 'all or

nothing' attitude (get through the whole series or don't

bother kind of thinking) can paralyze a person and

actually works as an excuse to avoid practice all together

without accepting the responsibility - blame it on the

practice - 'ashtanga is too hard... the primary series is

too long... my nose is too stuffy... etc. Believe me,

I know them all. <br><br>This friend is in recovery

for an eating disorder and told me this... He was

watching a gardening show on TV and this guy was talking

about how to grow a healthy tomato plant. The gardener

said most of the time, people water like crazy one

day, forget to water for a few, then again water like

crazy to make up for the days they forgot. SOmetimes it

is a problem with the soil and drainage so when you

do water, it will dry up right away, or just sit

there soaking and rotting. Sometimes the problem is the

weather - great rains then a dry spell. The plant does

not grow well and can not be healthy because it is in

a constant state of shock. It dies soon and can not

provide fruit for more plants. The gardener said that the

solution is mulch, because it will help soak up excess

water and provide moisture in a dry spell. It evens out

the extremes and protects the plant from injury. He

also said that you must understand the nature of the

soil so you can learn how to feed the plant. This way,

the plant is not in a constant state of shock and can

grow to be healthy and bear fruit because it is not

always working so hard to adjust to the changes in

environment so it can survive. The plant is no longer just

trying to survive and can grow and be healthy.<br><br>I

love this analogy and have taken it to heart. Hope you

guys enjoy it as much as I did.<br><br>MULCH

Love,<br>Trinka