PMAG -15 Contemplation Achievement May 2015 Contemplation June 2015 Achievement | Page 14

YOGA

YOGA

DRIVEN
Or Being Here?

ourselves for wasted time,
and propelling ourselves
into the future through
goal setting. In the process, we often lose sight
of this moment.
The need for this kind of
achievement too often stems from a fear of
failure. We – the triathlete, the entrepreneur,
the yogi, the scholar –
are too often driven to
achieve out of a fear of
what will happen if we
are just as we are right
now. In our need to seek
validation from others,
and to justify offering validation to ourselves, we
learn to “do”. We set the
bar high, and if we manage to reach that bar,
we set it even higher.
In this light, Achievement
is loaded.
When I think of the word
“achievement”, I see a
society that ingrains within us that we are what we
do, that glorifies struggle
as a means to success,
that dictates, “don’t rest,
you’re not there yet.” I
envision an arm reaching

away from me, pulling
me forward with a sense
of force, silently reminding me that where I am
right now is not satisfactory. It gestures intensely,
“This is not enough”.
When I think of the word
“achievement”, I hear
the internal voice that
reasons, “If this is not
enough, then I am not
enough”. I sense the
shame and guilt emanating from my psychotherapy clients as they express
their lack of accomplishments, their dissatisfaction with their lives, their
beliefs that they are
lesser than. I visualize the
slight- and sometimes
not so slight- frustration
on my yoga students’
faces when they judge
themselves to have erred
in their yoga practice,
followed by their short
Savasana that invites
them to say, “Tomorrow,
I’ll do better”.
When I think of the word
“achievement”, I imagine
myself letting go of the
hand pulling me forward,
reminding myself that I

am here. I hear the voices of my teachers telling
me that everything in life
is an unpredictable and
immeasurable process. I
see that only through an
acceptance of ourselves
and of others without
judgment, and through
consistent work toward
being present in this moment, can we find true
meaning in who we are,
and what we do. I envision the triathlete hearing
his/her shoes hitting the
concrete, the entrepreneur feeling the passion
for the work, the yogi
sensing the grounding in
handstand, the scholar
feeling intrigue in learning
something new.
In a world that teaches
us to do better, to be
better, I am reminded
that “achievement” is
a beautiful ideal, but
should not be used to
take us away from this
moment, or encourage
us to do, to judge, to
shame, to measure. I
look to yoga to find myself here, and that’s the
greatest achievement I
could ask for.

Image credit: Milo Peng

A

chievement is a glorified term, as it is identified with strength, perseverance, intelligence, and success. We think of the triathlete who crosses the finish line, the successful entrepreneur, the advanced yogi who can handstand, the accomplished scholar. We
imagine the finish line, the closing curtains during a standing ovation, the goal attained.
In this light, Achievement is beautiful.
However, any notion of achievement rooted in the belief that we can measure success
by how much we accomplish, contradicts many fundamental principles of mindfulness
and yoga philosophy: Acceptance, Non-judgment, Presence, and Non-harm. It is a socially accepted means by which to measure our worth, often living in the past by shaming

Crystal Ellis isTranearlyfun and creative being who loves adventures &
Vanessa an a Toronto-based with a passion for community and
Chantal Wade isis a 30s Yoga gal psychotherapist (MSW, RSW), certified
continuous others feel sexy inside andbe found withCertified Yoga book, in a
helping learning. certified pilates out. She is a her head in a &
yoga instructor and She can always instructor. She has been a practising
silly Meditation Teacher, and Holistic Nutritionist. been teaching yoga and
yoga pose, or sharing her musings over has She is or Twitter. With a
psychotherapist in Toronto since 2005, andon her blogbased in Ottawa fiery
personality she constantly strives to motivate others to see their greatness,
and offers 2011. ChantalTherapy offerings online and internationally.
pilates since Yoga & Food views her own self-development as an ongoing
while fascinating process, to laugh at herself. Followso much from journey at
and always making sure and is honoured to learn along on her those with
yogicrystal.wordpress.com or on Twitter at @YogiCrystal.
whom she works.
Visit www.pranaquests.com to learn more about Vanessa, services and
blog offerings.
For more information about Chantal, please visit www.chantalwade.com.