The question of which path to choose pops up
many times in our life. It’s not that we favour
only the rosy or only the thorny ways. The
choice depends both on our inner potential, on
our preferences and on the circumstances we
find ourselves in.
For example, at one point I had to go through
an interview in French. I had only one month
to go from the level of ‘can barely make a
sentence’ to the level of ‘can speak about
work, education and life prospects.’ So, of
course, I had to choose the short and thorny
path. I went to Paris, took 40 hours of French
classes a week, lived in a French family and
had to hang out with locals only. This was very
challenging, but I had a deadline as an extra
kick.
In some areas of life, we actually need a thorny
way to stay focused, but when it comes to
yoga or other spiritual practices, I wouldn’t
recommend rushing, trying too hard and doing
things beyond your current level. Let your
progress come from within, don’t force it.