Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

We all have them.  At work, in our relationships, and in our fitness routines.

You are a runner. You love the feel of the pavement and the solitude of just hearing your breath as you move forward, or your "Running" playlist on your iPod.
You are a cyclist. You enjoy the wind in your face as you speed down the path so quickly it's as if you are floating on air.
You are a swimmer. The smell of the chlorine intices you and the water on your face invites in for just one more lap.

It's what you love. It's what you do without thinking twice and probably the reason you still remain active. You have something that you are comfortable with.
But, what happens when you realize that you aren't progressing? You are on "auto pilot" and you don't even SEE the road that you are riding or running on anymore. The pool might as well be invisible. You hardly notice what it is that moves you from one end of the pool to the other. You can't remember how you got there.

What is that saying? If you always do what you've always done, then you will always get what you always got.

In this instance, it might mean that you won't get anywhere further than where you are now. And, if you strive to continuously improve upon not just your physical, but your mental/spiritual fitness, you have to leave your comfort zone.

I am a cardio junkie. The more it hurts, the more I sweat, the more I like it. It's why I teach the fitness formats I teach. They are what I have always felt made me FEEL like I was working out. In my mind, if I don't feel it the next day, it wasn't worth the time.
Weird, maybe?  But, it WAS my thinking. That is, until I left my comfort zone.
I tried yoga. I had NEVER seen a yoga class, let alone participated in one. I actually probably would have never tried it had it not been offered to me and I felt "obligated" to accept the invitation.  (The studio I teach my classes at is a yoga studio, and when I went to see the space the owner was kind enough to invite me to a class. It would have been rude to decline, right? LOL)

The first class was torture. I could barely sit still and the music ... oh my goodness. I thought I was going to fall asleep, and that would have been unfortunate. I do NOT sound very "lady like" with my snoring :)  It was a true test of my mental capacity to RELAX and accept the peaceful nature and serenity of the practice.
But, I was intrigued. I mean, it's only  one hour out of the week, right?  I went back the next week, and I found it a little easier to "calm" down.  The next week it was even easier ... and so on, and so forth.

Now, nearly a year later, I have not missed more than a handful of classes.  I actually LOVE and look forward to my Yoga practice.

I stepped out of my comfort zone and I found that it challenged not only my mind but it also DID challenge my body. Getting all "bendy and twisty" makes me feel JUST sore enough the next day that I get that satisfaction of having worked out that I so desire. And, I will have you know that I actually have my Yoga instructor's playlist on MY iPod now. 

It's good to be comfortable.  But, it has a time and a place. When comfort turns into complacency (for lack of a better term) and you stop moving forward, you stop growing.
And who knows ... you might find out that you actually ENJOY leaving your "zone".