Brave Flexibility as applied to 2016

If it were easy for me to be brave or flexible, I probably wouldn't have started this year with those as my focus words. Attempting to use these words in my life is a work in progress, and sometimes a non-work in non-progress when I just give up on it all together and cautiously choose a prescribed plan that has worked before.

The idea of having a focus word for the year came from a meeting with the dietitian I've worked with. We started with flexible, since I had few goals for the year at that point except trying to get to yoga more often. I can't recall what motivated me to add brave to the list, but it's been with me for a few months now and I like the challenge the two present.

Brave

Things that have been brave

• Attempting, repeatedly, crow pose in yoga, especially after having my first crow flop where it all fell apart. While I magically recovered to end up on all 4s after that, it was still pretty scary, and going back to crow after that flop was even harder than trying it the first time
• Attempting headstand in yoga. This is requiring a lot of trust in myself when I do it without help, and trust in the instructor when she helps me get into it. It feels brave to challenge my body to support me in such a strange way.
• Signing up for Mountains of Misery! This wasn't a purely brave choice; I had some FOMO and peer pressure to help it happen, but in the training already, I am trying to tackle climbs with an open heart instead of with unbridled fear, and at least it's decreasing the pre-worry, even if it isn't making my legs stronger :)
• Trying something new at work. This wasn't exactly my choice, but starting a new position last November has put me in a much less confident state at work. I am trying to bravely ask for help when I need it and confidently ask for clarification

Flexible

Things that have been flexible

• Showing up with an open mind to workouts, and then if something different happens, I am trying to go with it. This is hard!!
• Working on physical flexibility with a lot of yoga classes. 
• Going on new bike rides! Until starting to try some new routes, I hadn't realized how comforting it had gotten over the last few years that I have ridden enough that my "regular" routes are  known to me.