You try, not to Prove but to "Improve!"

The biggest mistake people make when exercising or training is trying to defeat the exercise. People, especially in the west, are always trying to win, even in practice. It doesn’t matter if you are doing Yoga, Pilates or Weight training to tone your body. The Tao says, “If you want to be straight, allow yourself to be crooked”. Translation, “If you want to be strong, you must allow yourself to be weak.” Surrender! Die into it! Your job is only to do your best. The sculpture cannot be harder than the hammer and chisel. Why is it that we cannot allow ourselves to look, appear, let alone “be” weak? Could it be because our entire lives we have been told that if we are weak we are useless, worthless? I remember a saying, “When I am weak, I am strong.” It takes great strength to even be willing to look at our weaknesses and our faults. You have to look at any problem in order to fix it. Why are we so stuck on avoidance and denial of our percieved weaknesses? They are merely cries for love in a necessary area. If you have a cut on your left hand would you put the band-aid on the right hand? It takes great strength to allow yourself to be weak for the right reasons at the right times, or should I say great faith. This is the reason for the sayings, God, the Tao, takes over where you leave off. You just do your best and then rest.

There is a story of a great pianist who was a bout to do a concert. He was preparing back stage with the curtains closed and an anxious audience waiting out front. As the time grew near to start the performance, a small boy snuck away from his parents in the front row. He ran up on stage to the Steinway, the top of the line piano and the prize possession of the star pianist. He began plunking away. At about 6 years old he did his best rendition of “chopsticks”. The crowd heard and gasped especially the parents of the small boy who were beyond embarrassed and now somewhat in a panic rushing to get the boy off stage calling the child frantically. At that moment the pianist emerged from backstage to find the little boy now sitting on his chair playing away, “chopsticks”! The boy’s parents were just about to grab the boy when the pianist signaled for the parents to wait. He told them to leave the boy alone, and proceeded to sit down next to the boy who looked up at him in fear. The pianist patted the young boy on the head and said in a gentle voice, keep playing my child, keep playing. So the little boy continued to play, “chopsticks”! At that moment the great pianist began playing a whole concerto around the little boy’s best effort. The audience was amazed and began to applaud. It sounded great, fantastic. When it was finished, the pianist looked at the little boy, leaned down and whispered to him, “I believe this is when you take your bow! God takes over where you leave off. The universe will support your best effort.

"If you do not do, what you cannot do, you will not do, what you can do!"
This is inspiration too move beyond self -imposed limitation do to fear and laziness.

When you enter a Katango or Zen Body Sculpting class, realize that you literally fail your way to success. Remember, “Trying and failing is not a problem, only failing to try!”The only thing that need be perfect is your intention, your effort.