In praise of flexibility

I am not flexible. Not in body, not in demeanor. It’s a fact that I am a bit ashamed of. A part of the reason why I wanted to study Yoga in depth, is to both flex my stiff body as well as my inflexible mind and behavior. I would have been happier being a person that goes with the flow, less in resistance to everything that happens and what people say. It’s very difficult to wonder the world like a log, the lack of flexibility creates a muscle spasm and figuratively to personality, an inflexible personality makes you cramped and stiff.

There is a famous parable about the tree and the reed. The tree was boasting in the ears of the reed: “See how strong and sturdy I am, my roots cling deep into the ground, and you? - every slight breeze blows you away - even a little insect that sits on you makes you move like you are about to break and fall". The reed remained silent. Suddenly, a strong wind started blowing. The flexible reed rocked right and left and the tree remained stable, but as the wind became stronger, the tree broke and the reed held on. With it’s great flexibility it managed to move with the breeze and flatten itself completely. When the wind subsided, the reed straightened up and was warming in the pleasant sun, as if nothing had happened, and the tree was uprooted from it’s place forever. It goes without saying, flexibility is a great strength.

Yoga helps me practice flexibility from the body out, in baby steps. I managed to advance a little bit more flexing forward - uttanasana? I moved another centimeter in Paschimottanasana? Bending forward while sitting - what a beauty, as long as something moves, as long as there is a positive vector in the direction of flexibility - I received criticism and didn't shrink and answer harshly, but rather tried to actually listen to what the other side has to say? I did another trickle towards flexibility of the mind. Afternoon plans with the kids didn't come out exactly like I wanted? Never mind, tomorrow it might work out better, things didn't go exactly as I planned - I tried to find the opportunity in the alternative path that was created. I don’t trick myself, I have a long road to go until I’ll be a flexible person, but the main part is that I keep going, working at it and not giving up it's on my mind all the time. In the long range - in such a dynamic and ever changing world, flexibility is a necessary super-quality that we all need.

p.s

I'm also trying to work on flexibility of my heart, not with cardio exercise(:, but trying to really open my heart and be a more loving person.