How Do I Progress in Yoga Practice

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Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.. –Pema Chodron
There are endless amounts of benefits of practicing yoga. I think one of the most confusing thing for people is understanding the difference between yoga and exercise, and that progression in practice does not mean progression in advanced postures. 
What Does Progression In Yoga Asana Practice Really Mean?
I made sure to use the words, asana practice because yoga is a 24/7 practice of awareness, consciousness, and unconditional love. It should be taken off the mat, and into our every action and thought. When we practice yoga postures, we’re actually using the physical body to understand what is going on internally on a spiritual level. 
Progression in practice doesn’t have to do with how deep you can get into postures, if you can stick your leg behind your head, or how long you can hold a handstand.  It is inevitable that if you practice long enough and challenge yourself, that stuff will come, but think of it more like a side effect of consistent practice. 
The commitment to a consistent yoga practice will create humility, compassion, patience, and a sense of stillness in the mind that grows over a long period of time. It grows slowly, which is something that is hard for people to understand or accept. When you can accept the irony that yoga is not about postures at all, then the frustration due to the physical abilities will start to fall away. 
It is  important to push the limits and challenge yourself in yoga practice, but that does not mean creating pain or hurting yourself. It also does not mean pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion. It is a balance of firm yet relaxed, which is stated in yoga sutra 2.46. 
2.46 Sthira Sukham Asanam:  “The posture (asana) for Yoga meditation should be steady, stable, and motionless, as well as comfortable”