I once saw a Twilight Zone episode called, ”A Nice Place to Visit,” about a gangster named Rocky Valentine who dies in a shootout with the police and wakes up in the next world. In this world, Rocky’s every whim is instantly satisfied. He plays pool and all the balls immediately get sunk. He visits a casino and wins every bet as beautiful girls flock around him. He wonders what good deeds he could have possibly done to gain entrance into heaven. As the show progresses and everything he does continues to come immediately and easily, he realizes he’s in hell. I haven’t seen it for decades but I often think about it, especially when I’m struggling to learn something..

Which brings me to―as the Ginge calls it―the “evil Chaturanga.” It’s a pose 99.9% of us struggle with. I’ve been refining it for years and have recently come upon a technique taught by Jessica Stickler in an online workshop that’s been working for me and that I’ve also been teaching my students. My goal is to hold Chaturanga for three full breaths with a smile on my face.

It’s freaking hard.

But you know what I like best about Chaturanga? The refining part. The sheer joy of practicing something, and what I learn about my body and my mind as I continue to struggle with it.

Immediate gratification is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there. Just ask Rocky Valentine.