Ready for a Reset? 21 Practices in 31 Days Could Change Everything
By Andrea Jarrell
Recently, a regular practitioner mentioned he felt he’d plateaued in his practice. I could relate.
I’ve felt that.
We often talk about a growing edge so “plateau” can feel like a problem. But the next time I see
my student I want to say: noticing a plateau is actually a good thing.
Some growth feels obvious and exciting — new poses, exhilarating transitions, more efficiency
and precision of movement, greater endurance.
After such growth, we relish a sense of mastery in the practice. For a while, maybe all we want is
to feel powerful on our mats. Like we know what we’re doing, and we can just let the flow take
us.
At other times, we get itchy. We want more but we feel stuck. Yet that feeling of plateau often
sparks new growth. It’s our growing edge calling us to find ways to keep expanding our practice.
Here are a few that have worked for me:
Say yes to the 21-in-31 challenge — I once hesitated to do a challenge like this because
I knew I’d have to travel for work. One of my teachers said, even if you don’t complete
the challenge you’ll still do more yoga. She was right. Sprinting towards a challenge
stokes a sense of camaraderie and personal accomplishment that can breathe new life into
your practice. Jump into the 21-in-31 anytime during October — any class at either
studio counts.
Focus on a single element for your whole practice — Your breath, your Drishti, your
transitions. Of course, we focus on these elements in every practice. But when you single
out one and concentrate only on that, you may be surprised at how it shifts the way you
practice.
Consistently practice a new pose — Choose one pose you’d like to add to your practice.
Ask your teachers for help and practice that pose before, during, and after class. This is
how I added headstands, crows, and firefly as a regular part of my practice.
Try a new-to-you teacher — We all resonate with certain teachers but when we switch it
up, we hear new cues and experience different transitions that we can carry into our
practice no matter who’s teaching.
Take a workshop — Every workshop I’ve taken has injected new energy into my
practice. If nothing else, these experiences create new friendships and bonds with your
fellow yogis that make the experience of coming to class more fun.
So, the next time you experience a plateau, see it as growth. It actually means you’ve been
pushing towards your growing edge all along. That growth has risen to the surface of your
awareness. It’s knocking at your door. It’s saying, you’re ready — let’s play, let’s explore,
let’s see what’s next.
Andrea Jarrell teaches Power 2.0 at PureFire. Off the mat, she’s an author and
communications strategist for nonprofits, cultural institutions, colleges, and universities.