Photo Credit: polarisandy

Although the following except is from “Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness” by Erich Schiffmann,  we can expand this concept to much more than just the practice of yoga.

“In daily life, we tend to remain within a familiar but limited comfort zone by staying away from both our physical and mental edges. This would be fine except that as aging occurs these limits close in considerably. Our bodies tighten, our range of movement decreases, and our strength and stamina diminish. By consciously bringing the body to its vairous limits or edges and holding it there, gently nudging it toward more openness with awareness, the long, slow process of closing in begins to reverse itself. The range expands as the edges change.”

Flexibility, endurance and attention are typically used to define the physical aspects of exercise. Striving to be as flexible, maintain endurance and attention should be goals that we work towards during physical activity. Finding the edge of our limits is playing the edge. It feels good. It’s not pushing our limits but easing into them.

Playing our edge can encompass more than the physical. By challenging and exploring our thoughts, emotions and beliefs we can open ourselves up to new experiences, new ways of seeing life. The edge of our life as we know it expands.

Step out of your comfort zone, play your edge. Expand your experience of life.