# To Progress.

> From inside to out.

**Published by:** [On The Inside](https://paragraph.com/@ontheinside/)
**Published on:** 2023-12-09
**URL:** https://paragraph.com/@ontheinside/to-progress

## Content

To Progress | A sketch by Melanie JaneSubscribe now In yoga, I have been taught That your attunement with each body part In conjunction with each motion, each breath Can transform the experience that you have of each step.From the tips of your fingers to the ends of your toes The amount of engagement you put in Will determine the impact of your flow.I can go through the motions of a practice Without syncing the movement with the breath I can hold a pose, physically Without actively engaging the various parts of my body Where the heart of the practice could be met.For a long time, I did this. I executed the movements. I held each pose. Yet I had a lack of awareness of the depths of the possibility within each motion that I chose.As a beginner, a newbie I felt good in that flow. Though as my practice has matured There is so much more engagement that I now know.As I think about this process The progress that is at play I think about the reality of many aspects of life Relating to this, each in their own way.A dancer going through the motions Reflecting that taught move in the mirror. Executing the choreography Without connecting in their soul With the steps as they go.Then after some time After their practices continue on Reaching into the depths of their being To reflect in their bodily movement The true heartbeat of a story Through their gestures meshed with the lyrics of the song.A guitar player when they first grasp the instrument Plucking at the strings Timid in their touch After some time, After moments for their being to relax Instead of plucking each string They now strum as the melody flows from their being.Somewhere along the way, Along the journey of life I came face to face with an undue awareness of my being Of myself in this life.Of the way that I looked To others, to me. Of the way that I was Of how I felt that I was supposed to be.An awareness, heightened. Turned from two to ten. An awareness, exaggerated. Turned from passive to obsessed.Many fears and self struggles Resulted from that shift Like the yoga and the dancer The guitar player, too. This piece has shifted As I have worked and grown As my attunement with my soul Has continued to brew.You see, I have experienced it being easier To hide my true self. To hide from my authentic desires and dreams In this world filled with comparison, Expectations and highlighted life scenes.I have often walked into desires With timid steps, on tippy toes. For those self-conscious pieces Those doubts inside Were roaring their voices Desperately desiring the spotlight.As I have grown and changed As my awareness and internal process has been given strength That hesitation is still there But I can overcome it with my internal foundation's grown strength.To hold the self in. To allow the self to flow out. Two pieces Many possibilities We can progress, from inside to out. There is an additional example of this lesson, this insight. December marks six months Of consecutive pieces being shared weekly on this site.I have turned to writing my whole life. From my elementary school short stories To the diary I wrote in as I grew up in my childhood room There are pieces that I have shared Externally published There are pieces I have held close, kept in.For years, I have desired to share my writings with the world. To pluck those poems from my journal To publish them on paper or a site.As I sit here In this month that is the sixth I feel a sense of gratitude in my heart As I ponder that win.For so long I told myself no The pieces are not good enough or too much. I spiraled with worry that they would not be understood If their presence took sight.Like the practice of yoga. The process of dance. Of playing an instrument. It has been scary and freeing A journey, a road A process of discovery Of embracing imperfection Of learning as I go.Six months, this month. Half a year, here. I want to thank you for reading. For listening. For taking in. This virtual space of mine Holds a profound depth, in my heart, within.I yearn to keep going. To keep sharing. To release that grip of the fear. Thank you for your time. For making the space to be here. ✨ ON THE INSIDE is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Thank you for being here!

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