If you ever scan the masses of yoga photos on Instagram, Tumblr, and Facebook, chances are you will be bombarded with images of insane backbends—many of which are so intense, the yogi appears to have no backbone.

Images flood our minds of picture-perfect alignment in the shoulders and forearms; followed by a smooth, deep arc of the spine; finished with toes dangling in front of the face or precisely placed on the crown of the head. We think, “How can that be comfortable?” All the while, the person in the pose maintains a peaceful look or smile on their face.

Yoga emulates life. Through practice we find change, and through change we find peace. The two go hand-in-hand. Just as we progress in life, we progress in our yoga practice. We have to push beyond the comfort zone and ego to allow the real magic to take root and grow. Herein lies the struggle of Scorpion pose.

Scorpion pose pushes us to move past our self-imposed expectations and limits, to find our guts and gumption, and to own our badassery.