I have a bit of a “love-hate” relationship with Plank Pose. I love that I feel strong, powerful and stable in this posture. However, I am not a huge fan of holding this posture for more than a few seconds. With that being said, my experiences in this pose has taught me a great deal about myself in relation to how I respond to life’s many challenges.
After about 10 seconds of being in plank, my body starts to tremble. At 15 seconds, my mind begins to speak to me. My mind says, “That’s all you can do. You are tired. It will feel sooooo good to flop to your belly for a rest.” I used to give in to this mental chatter all the time. And it did feel amazing to rest after being in plank for a period of time.
A few months later, I took a yoga class that involved A LOT of core work. The instructor said, “Your mind will want to give up before your body is ready to.” I considered this statement and applied it to my practice. As we entered plank, I encouraged myself to dig deeper. I acknowledged the mental chatter, smiled and kept breathing. Not only did my breath serve as a distraction, yet it reassured me that I had what it took to push through the desire to give up. I was able to remain in plank for a longer period of time because my body was ready for the challenge. And perhaps, my body was secretly seeking the challenge.
I learned a valuable lesson from my time in plank. Whenever I encountered a challenge in my daily life, I had this tendency to just give up or I would create an excuse for failing to follow through with something. This was ultimately due to my fear of failure. I had found it easier to give up when something became too challenging. But, what if I decided to give it my all? What if I decided to trust myself, the process and the journey? What if I decided to embrace the challenge instead of run away from it?
Consider how you respond to life’s challenges. Perhaps you will make an interesting discovery about yourself as you reflect upon this!
Explore Plank Pose with me on the Yoga with Rachel YouTube channel!