In yoga and in life, very few of us are without limitations. Even day to day, our flexibility, focus and balance can waver. Part of the experience, however, is understanding and choosing to live within our own limits. Those things we cannot do or must struggle to do are our greatest teachers.

Whenever we choose to be honest with ourselves about who we are or how we are in our practice, we open ourselves up to the opportunity to improve. Unlike pushing beyond our boundaries, or going into the pose even though it is uncomfortable, honoring our bodies will help us remove tensions.

If, instead, we push through our own limitations without caution and acknowledgement, we open ourselves up for more tension, tightness in other muscles, and even injury. And, the physical dangers, are of course, only part of the problem.

Where does the need to ignore our true limits come from? The body, itself, has very little to desire to exceed what feels good and right. Our spirits, too, could care less if we are in the exact, perfect expression of the pose. So who is it, actually, that urges us onward, past what is helpful and healing?

The answer is clearly ego. Ego, of course, is ignorance, and it is fed whenever we ignore what is true and right in favor of feeding our idea of self. Therefore, when we choose to ignore or deceive ourselves or others about our true abilities, we choose ignorance over presence, light, and learning.

Instead, we can choose to be where we are. This is the number one lesson Yoga has to teach many of us: to simply be where and who we are. Our monkey minds, our ego-doubts, our childish insecurities, all of it depends on our resistance. When we stop resisting and face truth, these things fade away.

The same can be said of limitations. Our limitations are actually only relative to others. They are based on comparisons and so they are illusions. In other words, they depend on our thinking and resisting.

If, instead, we choose to simply breath and accept ourselves, these so-called limitations are no longer labled as "imperfect" or "incomplete." They just are, as we simply are who we are and where we are. This is all we need in order to see and acknowledge our challenges, both on the mat and in life.

In this way, our limits become our greatest teachers. They teach us to be, to acknowledge, to have compassion, and to breath into the moment and struggle we find ourselves in, no matter what. Thinking in these terms makes accepting limitations easy; after all, without them, what would be left for us to learn?