The only Uncomfortable thing about Discomfort is your Fear of it...

One thing I've learned from my yoga practice so far: it is okay to be uncomfortable. Yes, I said it. A strange idea in this culture, I think - because we spend so much time, money and energy striving for ultimate comfort: comfortable homes, comfortable cars, comfortable beds, couches, comfy big-screen TV's to rest our weary eyes, lots of food on big plates to keep our hungry bellies at bay, lots of everything so it's all in within hand's reach right when we need it... Our quality of life is often viewed and described in terms of these things with which we measure our comfort levels. The idea of not being in your comfort zone becomes uncomfortable even to fathom, because we have so much invested in comfort.

Practicing yoga involves making the conscious decision to move yourself into uncomfortable situations. You willingly move yourself into postures in which you are feeling the state of your body (as opposed to trying to forget about it in front of the television). You feel the tension in the tight hips and hamstrings, you feel the burn of your muscles as they fire up in Warrior series. You feel your thoughts, motivations, desires, anxieties in the silence of the room, in the whisper of your breath. In yoga, we are confronted with discomfort - which leads to the question, why do we practice, then, if all we want is comfort?


I will answer like this: in practicing yoga, we practice our willpower. Yes, it is true we face discomfort in our bodies and minds as we move through our practice - but the key is that we do it willingly. Making the choice to move yourself into a tense spot puts you in the driver's seat. You've decided that you are in control of how far you will go, and what you will feel; deep down you know that the tension is something you can overcome - and the only uncomfortable thing about the tension is your fear of it.

When you make the decision to put yourself in the driver's seat of your thoughts, actions and feelings, you realize the delusion of discomfort; it's merely a preconception constructed by past experience, shrouded by fear. The fear of discomfort dissipates because you've faced it - and what is left is this sense of strength because you were able to face something you might not have wanted to face yesterday. The sage does not experience difficulties, because he faces them. 

With all of that said, I would like to note now that there is a difference between discomfort and pain. Discomfort is something that makes you stronger when you face it. Pain is something you need to listen to and back away from. If you are feeling something you don't want to face, ask yourself why - why is this uncomfortable for me? If it hurts, use the pain as a guidance and ease back into a safer position, from there you may try to locate the source of the pain. If you're feeling scared because you're experiencing feelings in a realm you're unfamiliar with, exercise your willpower and show yourself what you're made of.