Why Yoga is not always the answer
“Yoga is not about self-improvement; it's about self-acceptance.”
(unknown)
Yoga is more than just rolling the mat and performing asanas; it is a lifestyle, living in harmony with the self and the world, but it is also a process from which one can go beyond their previously believed mental and spiritual limitations. Even if the physical poses are what usually attract people to Yoga, they represent actually the tip of the iceberg. There are many other benefits that are important to recall: stress reduction, mental clarity, self-inquiry, self-compassion and understanding of others, and gratitude for every little thing.
We hear people saying that Yoga is the antidote to anything negative. Feeling burned out after work? Go to a Yoga class. Stiff neck and tight hamstrings? Yoga is the key to unlocking that stiffness of the body. Stressed and depleted emotionally? You should definitely do Yoga more regularly. Yoga becomes this promised land, where suddenly all your anxiety, worries and pressure will just magically fade away, where you will be zen in no time and ready to conquer the world. Few mention the struggles behind maintaining oneself in this practice, this journey, the understanding of Yoga beyond the poses, the commitment behind it.
But what happens when Yoga does not always appear to be the solution to our problems? Maybe we feel stuck in a rut also regarding our Yoga practice, repeating the same movements all the time or going to the same classes. From a physical and mental point of view, while there are several incredible benefits Yoga can provide, there can also be movements that are entirely contraindicated based on the conditions one has, medication they are taking or injuries, so it is necessary for one to consult prior with the doctor or physiotherapist about it. Maybe meditation is the answer, if the asana practice just doesn't feel right, we are fighting chronic pain or our bodies have reduced mobility, for instance. That is still doing Yoga, if not even more powerful in its effect: reshaping our mental patterns, bringing mental clarity, inner stability and resilience. Journaling, walking in nature, spending time with people that support and nourish us and with animals are just a few examples of activities that can enrich our inner world and support our overall well being.
The benefits of practising Yoga regularly are numerous; a few examples are a better connection to the body, to our conditioning, our mental patterns, clarity, focus and overall well being. Some of the reasons why people might not experience these aspects might be the way they practice, the reason why they do Yoga, but also it could be a mismatch to their physical capacity in that particular moment. Often, having a regular schedule of Yoga practices is much more beneficial than doing a 90-minute class every now and then. Consistency can support strength, stamina and resilience in time. Making sure you come up with a stable routine that could help you potentially building up both mental concentration, body strength and depth of breath, but keep it flexible, not as a to-do list but rather a go with the flow, let's see where the practice will take me today -kind of thing :).
Sometimes, the space that we practice plays a major role in our focus and our capacity during the class; a space with good light, sounds that are not invasive or rather a silent place and a tidy environment favor a practice, compared to a space where things, people, sounds or smells would make us more reactive or disturb us.
Also, the Yoga practices that are very physical and dynamic and don't include enough moments of stillness, cooling down, meditation practices, Pranayama (working actively with the breath) or chanting are lacking a profound aspect of an authentic Yoga class and therefore, the benefits of it would not be the same as the ones of, let's say, a more complete Yoga class.
Another aspect is choosing practices that sustain our level, our physical capacity so that, upon building a strong foundation, we can later on expand our knowledge and explore more practices. Patience plays a significant part in this aspect of building ourselves in Yoga, step by step, without expecting total mastery from the start.
Also, if we identify ourselves as women, then we should also be mindful of our menstrual and hormonal cycles and adjust our practices as such, for example a more energizing practice in the follicular phase, in opposition to a more restorative one during menstruation. We need to incorporate rest within our Yoga journey, pauses to reflect more, to help the body to recover from the asana practice. Our bodies are not actually structured in such a way as to practise intricate Yoga poses every day. A very intense physical Yang practice should be balanced by more Yin practices, that allow for more space, a more meditative approach to Yoga. Think about Shavasana, the corpse pose, at the end of each class, when we allow ourselves a moment to reset, restore and regenerate after the practice.
Yoga is in the end our everyday life; what we do in our spare time, what food we eat, what we watch and listen to, how we are talking and acting towards ourselves and the others count as well in our development as Yogis. Sometimes, especially if we suffer from a certain condition or we are going through a more rough period, being part of a community or a group of people sharing the same values or goals can help us feel more motivated and supported in our practice and also see it as more enjoyable.
Yoga, like some forms of therapy, can in time heighten all of our experiences, emotional and mental, pleasant or not and this increased awareness is something we need to embrace fully, in all its aspects. We don’t have to do anything specific with our thoughts and feelings other than accept them in our awareness. It is not always going to be easy when a lot of things are coming to the surface, but accepting the experience of the moment as it is, is fundamental to our development as Yogis and as people. Not pushing the uncomfortable under the carpet, but facing it. And also, as a reminder, sometimes it has to get worse so that it gets better in the end. As people fight mental conditions or day-to-day struggles, the results of practising Yoga will take weeks, maybe months or more to start appearing; but Yoga is no quick fix, it is a process of ups and downs like everything in life. However, Yoga is not a replacement for therapy, but rather a supplement to physical, mental, and spiritual health.
It could be that the reason for learning Yoga, like being able to touch our toes for example, grows to be completely different in a few months or years; just like we evolve constantly, so is Yoga and what Yoga was for me yesterday, might not mean the same today. Improvement is not always a straight line or clearly defined; often, the smaller, more subtle things are the real clues of our development or progress, maybe the quality of our breath, the posture of our backs or the capacity to listen more. In the end, Yoga being a process and a personal journey, it is important to rip the benefits of it according to our own individual beings and listen to whatever Yoga is trying to tell us, rather than forcing the practice upon us. You don't have to be a Yogi to find that gratitude and contentment in your life; maybe sometimes Yoga is simply not the answer or the solution in that particular moment and that is fine.
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