This post was written by Christine Chen Velazquez, certified yoga instructor and communications consultant.

“I’m overwhelmed.” “This is never going to happen.” “Maybe I should just give up.”

Have you spoken these words before (either muttering them under your breath or in a moment of emotional unloading to your BFF)? You are in good company, friends. Some of the top professional women in the world have had moments of defeat, tears and disbelief during their journey toward what they most want to achieve.

In yoga, we often pay special attention to what might be difficult rather than give up, because sometimes, what we don’t want to do is often what we probably should be doing more.

Hillary Rodham Clinton said, “I’ve often thought that when something is hard for you,
 whether it’s going to law school or anything else that 
challenges you, that’s probably what you should do.”

Also in yoga, we speak more to the intention, rather than the mission, as we work toward a pose or level in our physical practice, which is often linked to our progress mentally and spiritually too. What would happen if you let go of the “goal” or the end “mission” and took a step back for just a moment, rather than pushing forward toward something you think needs to happen? What if you came back to your intention?

With that in mind, also consider this: if your focus is singular and finite, and your mind is busy and full of “should” and “need” and negative thoughts, what room is there to discover 1) what you’re capable of, 2) what might be even better, and 3) what might be an alternate route to get to where you want to go?

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to step back from racing toward a goal, and get back to a place where the initial intention was clear to make your mission possible.

Try this:

• Take a comfortable seat, maybe in sukhasana
• Close your eyes and give yourself permission to relax
• Take three deep breaths (really big ones)
• Then, take three more; on your inhale think, “Let”, and on your exhale, think, “Go”
• Come back to your normal breathing
• Clear your mind of any remaining negative thoughts for the moment
• Think about what you’re doing and what you’ve been trying to do
• Is it working? Why is it working or not working?
• Don’t blame, don’t judge
• What are three small things that you can do that would help you get toward your end goal
• Open your eyes
• Write those three small things down (or type them into your preferred device)
• Ask yourself: “When can I begin to move toward the first thing on my list?”

Do this exercise on a regular basis, if you can.

The Yoga Sutras I.12 – I.14 discuss three essential things in yoga, which can be applied to life:

• Through practice, you can train the mind to stop spinning
• Through commitment to this practice, your true seer can emerge, bringing more clarity
• This practice must be done regularly, for a long time and with sincerity

Some might call this process “baby steps”, which is another way to look at it. Babies don’t sprint in the Olympics right out of the womb. There are struggles, falls, tears and rests in between attempts to move.

So, take a pause, a breath (or a few breaths) to get back to your intention – or rest before another attempt. Take note of what baby steps or little actions can help you move in that direction. Put one foot in front of the other, and soon you’ll be walking—with your vision clear in the mind—toward what you intended.

Be prepared, because as you get clear, your intention could evolve. It is all part of the process of cultivating clear thought, having commitment to your highest ability to see clearly, and a sincere desire to make a mission… possible.

Christine Chen Velazquez is a Yoga Alliance RYT for Hatha, Vinyasa and Restorative styles. She offers consulting, private instruction and teaches group classes at two studios on Manhattan’s Upper West Side: NY Loves Yoga and Life in Motion. More than a decade ago, she turned to yoga to manage a spine condition and stress from her high impact career as a broadcast journalist. Today, as an instructor, she shares her experiences, knowledge and training to help others find overall wellbeing. She received her teacher training at Yogalife in Seattle, where she practiced for 10+ years. Each day, Christine continues to share her passions of Ayurveda, the Chakras and the Sutras in a variety of practices.

Follow Christine on Twitter: @christinechen_
Share with Christine on Facebook: Yin Yang Yoga with Christine