Measuring Progress

One of the problems with slow recuperation is that it is difficult to perceive progress. Every day seems the same as the last. You are actually getting a tiny bit better but you can't see it unless you make a mark somehow, and then check how far you have come a few weeks later.

I recently realised that yoga has provided a means of measuring progress The postures are the same day after day, but with each class I have been able to see some sort of change. Once the change was negative, but then a few days later I reached a new high point.

I'm writing this from Portugal on a two week yoga retreat. The weather is roastingly hot. The group has been superbly supportive, helping me in the airport, and fetching and carrying my food and drink at mealtimes. Some of them find the sight of the frame quite unpleasant.

Twice a day we gather on our mats and go through the same routine. Twice a day I try to push the depth a little further, and am rewarded by tiny achievements. On day one, Saturday, there was a massive change. I stood on the the broken leg, all of my weight! Since then I have been making significant improvements and the objectives have been tumbling one after the other. I can now walk without the crutches. Well, to be fair, the crutches are still in my hands, ready for instant use, and the steps are tiny and slow, but it is walking. Mentally I feel like I could just step off and stride away. The physical reality is a bit more limited.

Standing Tree, on the last day of the holiday