how do I deal with guilt about perfectionism in my practice?

This is Ashtanga Yoga Tech Support. Real questions from the yoga community, answered.

The Question

I really struggle with guilt about perfectionism in my practice. How do I work with that?

— from a MJH note

Our Response

Your practice is not for accomplishment. It’s for systems literacy on the system of your own life.

The beauty of the practice—even when you’re doing it and it sucks—is your capacity to value that. That’s what you’re actually here for.

As soon as the striving stuff, the accomplishment concept, starts to quiet down, we get to bask in the view of our own gifts. Sometimes that makes us wince. Sometimes recognizing our own capacity feels uncomfortable, even embarrassing.

But good job. Seriously. Your ability to tell the difference between insight and striving, between what’s real and what’s performance—that’s the work.