A Yoga Secret
I was driving to a yoga class the other day, listening to my own relaxing playlist instead of kids music, when I realized how happy I was to go....to be... in a hot room, sweat, follow along, blend in the back and make the practice my own depending on what my body needed that day. I also realized something else....
I used to hate yoga.....with a passion.
When I lived in NYC, my only philosophy was going as hard as I could in order to chase my dream. Slowing down was not in my vocabulary and I thrived on that "go go go" mentality. The yoga classes I tried back then just didn't do it for me. There was no adrenaline rush.
Focus on breathing while trying to contort myself into those strange poses that I was not used to? Not a chance! I would get so frustrated because as a dancer I thought I was flexible yet I couldn't do any of those yoga poses for the life of me.... Kick a high leg, turn and jump...sure, sign me up, but my body just wasn't bending ...the yoga way.
I hated it because I didn't understand it.
I was completely missing the concept that...
Yoga is a practice.
It's about doing what you can that day. As you make yoga a part of your own wellness practice, over time you get better, you feel more flexible and your body feels more open and aligned. There is no perfect.
I find this concept to be completely fitting for where I am in life right now. Going from a place of needing to be better than yesterday because it mattered in terms of what job I could get, to now: knowing that I do not have to be better than yesterday. That is quite a relief.
A huge catalyst for my change in perspective towards yoga came from having to recover from my injuries (a major hip surgery, a knee surgery and an unplanned C-section within an 18 month period). I had to meet my body where it was in it's healing process. I couldn't push myself. I wasn't allowed to. I knew I wasn't going to be able to do much during that time so my expectations of my body's abilities were much different. My only expectation was to feel good that day without pain.
Each day got better. And now, perhaps because I worked yoga into my healing experience, I could not love yoga more. It's now a source of therapy both mentally and physically. I now crave yoga, especially when I feel my body needs a bit more recovery and balance.
This idea had me thinking about other exercise modalities that I hear people say they don't like but that teach you different things about your body. They test your systems to grow, to be strong and to work for you. Different kinds of movement can bring you lots of joy when incorporated at the right time, when your body truly needs them and when you are ready for them.
If you find yourself in a similar boat... remembering not liking a specific form of exercise (like me with yoga), perhaps it's time to give it another try. You may find a new love of movement you didn't have before. Each modality teaches you something about how your body moves and what you are capable of. The magic is in the practice.
Here are some examples:
Pilates: teaches you to control resistance and movement... properly building strength from within
Running or cycling: teaches you how far you can push yourself to build endurance, challenges you in surprising ways with distance and speed, making your cardiovascular system strong
Yoga: Builds strength and flexibility and teaches you patience and kindness towards yourself
Weight lifting: builds strength and keeps you functional.
I encourage you to revisit an exercise modality you may have despised in the past and see if it resonates with you now in a different way. Perhaps it will give you the balance you crave and will give you the ultimate healthy body you are trying to achieve.
Just something to ponder.
If this story hits home with you, I would love to hear! Comment below.
More to come soon,
Xoxo,
Ariel