Anytime I mention that I practice yoga or am a yoga instructor, I hear a variety of responses…
“You do? Where do you teach at?”
“I like yoga.”
“I’ve been wanting to try yoga.”
“I could never do yoga.”
Now, I know how to sequence a lovely yoga class. The poses I learned in my 200 hour yoga teacher training are familiar enough to me that I can create the shapes in a way that is comfortable for my body. As I have developed a greater sense of body awareness, I am able to push myself deeper into poses and ease myself out of others so that I can develop the strength and flexibility I need to reach my goals. Over the last 8 or so months, I have nurtured my love of yoga by exploring the resources the yoga world has to offer.
But there is something wrong. Every time someone I love encourages me to do some yoga. Each time I think about rolling out my mat and flowing through some poses. And, even though my mind, body, and soul crave mindful movement and meditation, I can’t do it. I would rather do anything but practice yoga. So I do.
I listen to music and create mega playlists on Spotify. Netflix, Hulu, Disney + and YouTube become fantastic places to binge watch mindlessly for hours. Or, if there is nothing interesting to watch, I’ll spend hours scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Friday morning, I decided that I would rather go running than practice yoga. Needless to say, that idea fell flat on her face – literally! And, #RealTalk if I am honest with you, even this blog post is a distraction keeping me from practicing yoga this morning.
So, let’s bring everyone in for a reality check. YOGA IS HARD!
Yoga is not sunshine, roses, butterflies, and green grass fields. Okay, that’s a lie. Sometimes it is, but not today – not for me.
Just like Michelangelo took years to sculpt the famous David statue chipping away at the marble, yoga is often the art of self discovery, reflection, and an opportunity to sift through the challenges and difficulties that we face in life.
If you happened to read the previous post, you have a pretty good idea of what my life has been like for the last 10-ish days. If you haven’t – here’s the link. Up and down like a roller coaster, you can see both why I need yoga and why I don’t want anything to do with it.
So, to my fellow yogi and yogini, if someone you’re talking to about yoga says something to the effect of, “Oh, I can’t do yoga.” Remember that they might be struggling through the sludge of a really difficult life experience that they aren’t ready to fully process through.