https://www.alainguillot.com/i-am-bad-at-yoga-and-i-am-happy-about-it/

My friend Cheryl started practicing yoga. She had a couple of guest passes, so she invited me to join her for a class. I enjoyed the class enough that I decided to continue going.

I’m not good at it, and I’m not even trying to be good at it—I’m just enjoying the experience of trying something new.

So many of us are afraid to try new things. We fear embarrassing ourselves and showing our vulnerability. We don’t want to accept our roles as beginners, so we never start. We reject the idea of being bad at something.

But I think we’re missing out.

When we try something new, it should be a relief not to have to be good at it. If you have a job where you’re being paid, then, of course, you need to excel. But if you’re trying something new—as a pastime or for personal growth—it should be liberating to not have to be good at it.

As for my yoga classes; my body is not too flexible. I don’t know the names of the poses, so I have to look around to see what others are doing. I can’t hold a pose long enough, either. I’m bad at it, and I’m loving it.

Especially now during the winter, I enjoy being in a hot room, sweating the toxins out of my body, surrounded by others—many of them beginners like me. I love not having to be an expert, or even mediocre. I give myself permission to ask questions and say, “I’m a beginner at this.”

What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to do but were too afraid to try? Whatever it is, start doing it. If you struggle, embrace the fact that you’re a beginner.

Give it a try, and don’t hesitate to tell people, “I’m new at this.” You’ll find that most people want to help you learn—it makes them feel good.

I think that before social media, people were more willing to show vulnerability and admit their lack of expertise. But now, it seems like everyone wants to appear as an overnight expert.

At one time, I was a salsa dance teacher. After a 15-minute class, once I showed the basic step, a student would often say, “How come I don’t look like you?” My answer was simple: “Because I’ve been doing this for 15 years, and you’ve been doing it for 15 minutes.”

It can feel insulting to those who’ve spent years mastering their craft to think you can perform at their level after just a few minutes. We should embrace being beginners and enjoy the learning process.

So, what are you bad at?