At the start of every yoga class we’re urged to set an intention for the practice. The intention is set as something to grasp onto when the practice gets tough. When your muscles are aching and sweat is dripping down your forehead you can come back to your intention for strength and motivation.
Recently I made my second trip to an advanced yoga practice. The first one had been a miserable experience. Overwhelmed and unable to follow along with the instructor I spent most of the class lying on my mat. It had taken a few months before I braved the advanced class again, yet the memory of my failure was still in my mind.
I knew that the class was going to be just as hard, and I would feel overwhelmed, tired and frustrated. So I chose my intention carefully. This practice I was going to focus on one thought:
Be Encouraged By What You Learn
Be encouraged by learning, not by perfection. Even if I try a pose and fail, my muscles become stronger, I learn more about the technique. Even if I’m too tired to stand up, I watch others and learn from them.
Throughout the practice I felt encouraged by my frustrations. I felt encouraged when I couldn’t do a pose. I felt encouraged when my muscles ached and my body quivered. I felt encouraged by what I was learning in every moment.
Crossdress and Be Encouraged
Sometimes crossdressing is like the most difficult yoga practice. You’re frustrated because you can’t seem to get your makeup right. Your clothes don’t fit properly, you struggle to walk in heels and you ladder your stockings. Every step you take as a crossdresser seems manly, clumsy and awkward. You may even have people laugh at you, or stare with intense interest. Your feet might be hurting, sweat ruining your makeup and the teller calls you, ‘sir’.
Despite being excited at the prospect of a wonderful day spent en femme you end your day in despair. Cursing your transgendered misfortune.
But Be Encouraged By What You Learn
It’s easy to get caught in the perfection trap. Always striving for perfect, yet never achieving it. Each failure chipping away at your pride until you barely feel like wearing anything at all. Don’t let your own judgments stop you from crossdressing.
Wear those clothes, do your makeup, put on that wig. Do your feminine best, and be encouraged by what you learn. Even if all you learn is how ill suited that red sweater is for your figure, have fun being awfully gorgeous.
We’re all just practicing our femininity, some of us have been at it a while longer, that’s all.
More Articles by Vanessa Law
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- Win a Free Makeup Prize Bundle from Jecca Blac
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- I Want to Live Like That
- Hope in Despair, Light through the Darkness
Thank you for the encouraging article. I’ll be ‘re-reading it often in the days ahead. I’m very apprehensive but with encouraging words from the man I love and all of you I’ll become the woman I’ve always wanted to be.
Thank you. Im new to the site. Never give up
Thank you for the support. Im so new to this i try each day to be a little bit more feminine. Last week i shaved my legs for the first time. It felt so good. This week i painted my toe nails. Im in the process of trying to find the right wig and this weekend im going to shave my armpits. Ive incorporated a daily butt routine in my exercise too. The wig is tough…i keep thinking im hideous ..but i havent even learnef makeup yet so im hoping that helps alot. Again thank you for being here.
Oh Marrissa how cute are you?! I so remember the stage you are in now. Enjoy, it is sooooo fun. And when you find the right wig and put it on for the first time, have your makeup on first, ok? Because when you look in the mirror you will wonder wh o this beautiful woman is. Huggs hunni.
thank you for accepting me and I try when I can but I think these other sites will help me be more beautiful
Thank you , it has been and is a slow journey for me and I am looking to release my inner self .
A very interesting message. I have been dressing on and off since year 2000, identifying as female decades before. I am now retired (early be today’s standards) and have recently separated from my wife though we are very good friends and see each other regularly. I keep her informed of my adventures (that sounds tacky). No. Let’s rephrase: I keep her informed on what I am doing, parties, Balls, trips away and show her pictures when asked. I see myself as a confident woman in every respect. I dress well. I am undergoing counselling to assess if I am a… Read more »
Oh Julie, how wonderful that you are beginning your journey. It really is liberating once u do come out of the closet and show the world who you really are!!!!! Hope we can chat about yours.
Hello All:
Anybody here from the Greater Sacramento Area?
Jen
Hello Jennifer
I am around the roseville area.
I to am looking for a few girlfriends.
Feel free to drop a line any time.
My wife and I are considering a makeover and a night out in the SF Bay Area.
First time for this. Does anybody have any recommendations?
These comments are all so helpful. Seeing my therapist next week and you are helping me understand that more people feel like me. Thank you
I have “passed" the CD phase many years ago, but might have answers to questions that all you that have found out this about yourself. From the okd group for tnspersons in the MS.Groubps , to the TS-group ( for a time Hostess there till MS chosed to close most groupe). Then active in the nationsl TS federation in Sweden and for about 25 years lving full in my new identity.
Mistyping I gave had my new ID for 15 (fifteen) years