Support is as Important as Independence
In a yoga class a couple of weeks ago, we were taught the half moon balance pose. This involves tipping over sideways so that you are balancing on the hand and foot of the same side of your body.
Our teacher asked us to stand with our back against the wall to learn how to get into the position. She also suggested that even once we became confident in the pose, we always use the wall to support us when practising it. Trying to do so without the support might give us a greater sense of achievement, but using the support would ensure that our alignment was correct and minimise the chances of doing any damage (as well as stopping us from falling over and destroying our living rooms!).
This really made me think about the importance of support. I like to be independent, to prove I can do things on my own. But there is absolutely no reason to feel that I have to achieve everything completely by myself.
Asking for support when you need it can be a difficult thing for some of us to do, but there are things that you can do more easily, more safely or better with support (yes, note to self, moving a piano is definitely one of those things!) And equally it can be more enjoyable, or at least bearable, to do something that you could do alone with someone there to support you.
For those of us choosing to live our lives solo, having a network of people around us is often an important part of how we choose to live our lives. In his podcast Solo, Peter McGraw refers to this as your ‘team’. He says that we all need a team around us; not just your friends but also trusted professionals that can help you to achieve and develop.
However you are choosing to live your life, remember that supporting each other is a natural part of being human. Ask for help when you need or want it, and remember the joy that giving support to someone else can bring.
