Are You Dancing in the Extremes?

Trade burnout, rigidity, and binary thinking for balance that actually lasts.

OOPS! I did it again! 😅🤦‍♀️

Binary thinking is the habit of seeing life in extremes. It's all or nothing, winning or losing, perfect or failed, disciplined or lazy, etc. This way of thinking makes us choose sides, it separates us and feeds our ego. 🤮

I get it. I am 💯 guilty of this myself.

But, before I get into all of that… Question:

Do you know what yoga means?

Yoga literally means "to yoke," "bind," or "unite." It signifies the union of individual consciousness with universal consciousness. It harmoniously integrates the mind, body, and spirit. The practice of yoga harnesses one's energy to achieve balance and connection.

A little too woo-woo for you?

The key words to notice here include: union, integration, connection, and balance.

Yoga has been practiced for over 5,000 years. It originated in India around 3000 BCE. We, as people, have had this knowledge for a LOOOOONG time now.

However, in this modern age, I've noticed that we tend to think it's either black or white, yes or no, in or out, good or bad. This mindset is very dichotomous. This kind of binary thinking fractures and weakens us.

In yoga philosophy, this way of thinking comes from avidya, or a misperception of reality. Life is NOT clean lines and straight edges. It's cyclical, layered, and constantly changing.

Extremes can feel empowering at first. Maybe they provide clarity or a sense of control. But, over time, they WILL drain you, which will swing you chaotically into the extreme opposite.

How many times have you said, "I'm doing to the gym everyday!" This lasted a couple weeks until that day you were too exhausted to go. You were hit with so much fatigue that you completely fell off the wagon.

OR

You vowed to follow a super strict diet to lose weight. You were on a roll for a few weeks, you saw that weight coming off, and then, BOOM! You took ONE cheat day, which turned into a cheat week, which caused you to gain all the weight back (if not more), losing motivation and returning you to your old eating habits.

I've been there. Both of these examples were familiar patterns in my life.

I mean... Like I said, I did this recently... like just a few weeks ago 😅 I shared that I was sick of myself always pushing so hard and not listening to my instinct to slow down. I said I was going to take a month off of my high intensity workouts and focus solely on yoga.

Can you see how I went from one extreme to the other? Why did I think this was going to work?! 🤦‍♀️

It lasted about 10 days before I was missing my workouts BAD and it was effecting my mental health. I considered sticking with it because I said I would, but then I saw what I was doing... Dancing in the fucking extremes again.

I decided to go back to the gym, and instead balance my time between the gym and the yoga studio. This has made my soul the happiest!

All that to say, when we cling too tightly (raga) or push too hard against (dvesa), we lose our ability to adapt. Adaptability, not rigidity, is REAL power.

Yoga teaches us that it's not all one or the other. The sweet spot is found in the middle -- not out of compromise, but from a place of intelligence.

The middle is where effort meets compassion, discipline coexists with rest, and growth happens without self-punishment.

It's an acceptance and commitment to moderation across the board.

Extremes can be exciting and chaotic, but moderation is where you find peace and sustainability.

Whether it's on the mat, at the gym, on your plate, or the infinite other things, the best practitioners of life aren't the most extreme. They're the most consistent, adjusting incrementally as needed instead of dancing back in forth in the extremes.

You don't need to go harder. You need to go wiser. Choosing the middle path isn't a weakness. It's opting out of burnout culture and into a life you can actually sustain.

Pay attention to the words you use and the actions you take. Are you dancing in the extremes? If so, how can you inch closer to the middle?

Stand tall,

Tracey