About a month ago, a young friend with whom I've practiced yoga many times, told me she'd just done "breakthrough yoga." I wondered what she meant specifically but understood from experience without her answering. A yoga session where you feel "back," where you're limber, aligned, in balance, at peace with your body. How had she gotten there this time, I asked?
"Holding the pose," she said. "Things happen when you hold the pose." She went on to say that she'd been holding headstand and shoulder-stand for five minutes each, forward bend for ten, twenty minutes of Sun Salutation. If you've done any of these postures, you can appreciate what these lengths of time mean. If you've never done yoga, try this: Lean forward, trying to touch your finger tips to your toes. Now stay there for ten minutes. That's what forward bend is (also done seated and with infinite variations).
So the next time I did yoga, I got out a digital clock, moved it to various spots so that I could see it (just try looking at a clock in headstand), and held and held and held. Things do happen when you hold the pose. Awareness of tight muscles that soften, gripping that loosens, leaning more to one side than the other that rights itself. Things happen and suddenly you're considerably more straight, palpably more relaxed, stronger, more centered. This is why I love yoga.
Yoga postures -- asanas in the lexicon -- are challenging. Even "corpse" pose -- where all you do is lie in a relaxed state on the floor -- is a challenge when done properly. Same is true for most challenges. The longer you stay with them, the more you learn, the more resistance gives way.
I offer this to all who are trying things that seem impossible or just plain difficult. Hold the pose and things happen.