Would you bet on yourself?

Backing Yourself in Practice

I’ve been reflecting, as we often do in December, on cycles, repetition, and what it really means to change.

I’m reminded of the Swanbourne Bowling Club. It’s a story I’ve heard many times.

An old club.
A tired building.
A leaking roof.
Membership slowly thinning.
Fees that haven’t changed in years.
Members frustrated, sad, looping through stories of how things used to be.

Everyone agrees something needs to change.

Then a new group arrives. Younger. Fresher. Without the weight of history or the habits of “how it’s always been done.” They bring skills, ideas, energy, and a confidence in renewal. Suddenly, possibility feels alive again.

The original members are excited. They want the club to continue. They love it.

And this is the tender part: they don’t quite see how much they are still holding on to the very patterns that brought the club to this point. Familiar habits feel safe, even when they no longer serve.

Change asks something of us.
Not just enthusiasm, but participation.
Not just agreement, but embodiment.

This feels deeply familiar in yoga.

Transformation doesn’t come from learning a new pose or gathering more information. It comes from backing yourself in practice. From repetition. From showing up when it’s quiet, when it’s slow, when the results aren’t immediate. From staying long enough for practice to work on you.

Over time, something shifts.

Body learns.
Nervous system settles.
Mind becomes steadier.
Practitioner becomes different.

For the past two years, I’ve been inside a very deliberate container of growth myself. It’s been demanding, clarifying, humbling, and profoundly supportive. The parallels with yoga are everywhere: steady effort, good structure, honest reflection, and the willingness to be changed by the process.

There’s something quietly radical about committing to a container and letting it work on you over time. No shortcuts. No constant reinvention. Just attention, effort, and patience.

This is the work of practice.
And it’s the work of change.

Practice, over time, changes us.
And when we change, the places we belong to change too.

xo kellie

PS. If you’re interested, I’ve shared a little more about the container I’ve been in and why it’s mattered so much to me. You can read more here.