Breaking Out of The Comfort Zone

Facing the dilemma of what to write about tonight, it was going to be one of two possible topics.

One: a recent weekend getaway with friends and family to an area never before visited.  Two: a new recipe using tempeh, an ingredient never before introduced at my dinner table.

As I procastinated a bit, switching between the two drafts on my screen, it suddenly hit me.  Maybe this recipe and the mystery ingredient which pleasantly surprised three out of four of us sitting around the dining table had something in common with my winter weekend in the mountains of Maine.

The tempeh recipe, a garlic-ginger stir-fry with broccoli and red pepper, was suggested by my good friend T.  In fact, it was T. and her family who hosted us at their rural camp 3 1/2 hours north of here, and her fabulous, healthy cooking which spoiled us rotten and inspired me to break out of my comfort zone in the kitchen.

It’s easy to fall into a rut, whether it’s at the dinner table, eating the same old, same old week after week, or at home, sitting in front of the T.V. every night or being 100% reachable by phone or email, even when visiting the playground.    The weekend was just what I, and my family, needed: to get away from home, away from town, disconnected from the world.  The camp had no television, no cell phone reception and certainly no internet.  My friend T. tells me they purposely don’t have 2 out of 3 of these items, for the simple reason that when they go to their camp, they are there to get away.  Without these distractions, the weekend was full of conversation, relaxation and family fun.

It’s not easy to switch your chicken for tempeh.  We all know what to expect with chicken.  We know where to find it in the grocery store, how to cook it, and how it will smell and taste when added to our favorite dish.  But, how great is it to seek out and experience something new, just for the pure adventure of seeing how you like it?

Yoga teaches us to find that perfect place, where you are not completely comfortable in a pose, but not completely uncomfortable either.  As we move into a posture, we should be aware of our alignment, balance and, most importantly, our breath.  There is always room for improvement, and when one has mastered a pose, there is always a more challenging variation.   The variations in life — the new ingredients, the new destinations — are what fulfill us.

Next time you are in a yoga class and hear the instructor lead a more challenging variation of a pose, consider whether you are too comfortable in your own variation.  Perhaps it is time to attempt the next level, and break out of your comfort zone.

In what areas of your life, have you, or could you, break out of your comfort zone?

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