Everything Is Practice. Practice is Everything.

Undoubtedly, the mind is restless and hard to control.

But it can be trained by constant practice and by freedom from desire.

-Iyengar

I am getting to know my mind again. I am getting to know where the lines are and whether these lines are mental boundaries or physical. When I practice anything, I reach a point where I feel I can't continue. Is that point my mind, telling me I can't? Or is it truly a physical boundary, as it seems? I rarely collapse from exhaustion, but I will crumple under the resistance from my mind. You can't, you can't, you can't.

What if I did? What if I did hold this plank for thirty more seconds? What if I did this headstand? What if I took out my paints? What if I led this pitch? Got in the water?

Everything is practice. Every little action unveils a technique and if I perform it long enough, will provide the space for me to butt up against my boundaries and explore: Is this a mental boundary, or physical? Can I really not hold this plank any longer? Run any farther? Getting to the point of exploring my boundaries is practice for the next time I push myself to that limit, in any endeavor.

Practice is everything. This time around, I'm realizing with more clarity that it's not only about training my muscles, but also training my mind not to crumple under its own resistance. This latter exercise is extraordinarily more involved.