What Do You Expect?

I remember standing in front of Stonehenge at 21. Even though Wiltshire is southwest of London, the air felt colder in the absence of trains. The wind whipped strong, plastering my jacket tight against my arms.

Looking out over the stones and the still-green countryside – a place I had never been before and may never be again ­– what ran through my head again and again was disbelief. “It looks so small. It looks so small. It looks…so small.”

Stonehenge, though, isn’t petite in scale. The largest stone stands 22 feet tall, with another 8 feet below ground. Even more amazing, it took about 30 million hours to assemble, has endured over 5,000 years and gives insight into what prehistoric man was capable of.

But none of that could register at the time. Because I expected mammoth. And when our expectations differ from reality – which so often they do – they sour and blind us from the good in and around our life. Leaving us feeling unfulfilled. Disappointed. Disgusted. Shorted. And creating much unnecessary dukha, or suffering. Often without us noticing the root cause.

On the mat, in asana, be mindful of expectations too. Just because yesterday you kicked up into headstand or balanced in side crow doesn't mean it’s guaranteed today. Expecting otherwise can zap the joy from an otherwise beautiful practice.

Or one of the world’s wonders.