Capacity.
I have been thinking about this word, its general meaning, and how it lands in my life, my practice, and my ability to show up.
Capacity is defined as the maximum amount something can hold, contain, or produce, or a person’s mental or physical ability to do something.
There’s so much to consider within this definition of capacity.
Perhaps the easiest place to feel it is within our physical asana practice. How long can we hold the posture? How long can we maintain our focus? How much physical effort can we produce while remaining connected to the intention of the practice? How long we stay in a Yin posture at the edge of discomfort, how we respond when balance becomes difficult in Hatha, or how many Sun Salutations we move through in a Vinyasa practice. These can all offer reflections of our capacity.
But we must be mindful that ego is not dictating the exploration. Testing our capacity is not about feeling superior or powerful. It is there to humble us. To bring us into presence. To offer us wisdom about ourselves.
But what happens when we take the physical practice off the table?
Where do we begin to evaluate capacity then? This is where we begin to explore the capacity of the mind.
Recently, during a conversation, someone said to me, “But my mind doesn’t work that way. You know this.” My response was, “But you know you can work with your mind.” This distinction is very important and has stayed with me.
As I work to understand my own capacity, I have reflected, sat in presence, and considered the future. I’ve started asking myself not only What am I capable of? but also What am I willing to give my capacity to?
Because being capable of carrying something does not necessarily mean we should carry it. Our capacity is influenced by many things: our bodies, our circumstances, our time, our resources, our responsibilities. But within those realities, we still have choices.
We can decide where we dig deeper. Where we pull back. Where we invest more. Where enough is enough. This doesn’t mean pushing ourselves to the edge of our capacity in every moment. Quite the opposite! Understanding our capacity allows us to become more intentional about where we use it. Back to the word that guides so much in my life; intention.
And ultimately, that is reflected in our values.
Have you ever sat down and actively decided what your values are? Written them down? Have you looked at the way you currently spend your time, energy, attention, and resources and compared that with those values?
Do they align?
If they are not aligning, you are not utilizing your capabilities to move you where you are wanting to go. It’s a life without intention, without direction.
The thing about capacity is that we can build it.
We are not born with immediate access to unlimited capacity. Each time we move thoughtfully into discomfort, we build. Each time we try something new, we build. Each time we stay present when it would be easier to react, we build. (This is such a big one that often gets overlooked) Each time we ask a little more of ourselves, and each time we recognize when asking for more is no longer useful, we learn how to use our capacity.
But if we build without direction, disconnected from our values and our goals, we may simply become better at carrying things we were never meant to keep carrying.
The question isn’t only: How much can I hold?
Perhaps the more important questions are:
What am I building the capacity for?
What deserves more of me?
And what am I ready to stop carrying simply because I have proven that I can?
Let’s grow collectively,
-Stephanie
PS: If you are a yoga teacher and you want to learn more about capacity in your teaching and business, join us for THE RETURN – Graduate Immersive Weekend in Bragg Creek, AB. Click here to learn more.