In AcroYoga, we have a saying:”The best AcroYogi is the one who has the most fun”.
And I love this expression, because it emphasizes that AcroYoga is not so much about technical skills, but more about life skills.
You can be technically amazing at doing all kinds of poses, flows and tricks.
But if you’re not enjoying yourself because you’re constantly striving to be perfect, where’s the fun in that?
My 'perfect' past
In the acrobatics, circus and performance world where I got my skills, I learned to never be satisfied with my results.
There’s always someone who is better, more skilled, more graceful, etc. etc.
My perfectionism did help me to constantly get better, but it also took the joy out of things.
Because I was never good enough.
F(l)ailing Forward
When Marijke and I met, I’d been doing acrobatics and AcroYoga for a long time already.
And when I saw the childlike joy, laughter and fun that she was having in the process, I realized -not without some envy- that I’d rather be joyful than amazingly skilled.
So that’s what I set out to learn.
Nowadays I’m definitely still a perfectionist, but way less than I used to be.
AcroYoga teaches me to let go of my strictness, in favor of having more fun in the moment.
Instead of gritting my teeth, I now often laugh when we're falling down.
I feel more connected with others, and I can rest in not knowing everything.
And finally, AcroYoga shows all the different silly ways that you can land on your partner (you know what I mean!): what we could call 'flailing forward'.
Enjoying the process
It’s by failing forward that we learned to walk and talk as little kids, and we were so cute!
As human beings, we’re a constant work in progress, and I feel that one of the most important things to learn is to enjoy the process, instead of being obsessed with the outcome.
As I grow in AcroYoga and as a teacher, I learn that more important than doing things perfectly is the quality of heart and connection I bring to it.
This brings me to something I love about AcroYoga, and that is the childlike feeling of excitement, joy and connection that seems to be an inherent part of the practice.
How cool would it be to allow ourselves these innocent qualities again when we learn new skills?
As always, I love hearing from you Do you recognize this perfectionism in your own life?
How good -or bad- are you at failing forward? And what helps you to enjoy the process? Make my day and share your thoughts below. Thank you! Hugs, Roald
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