mindful movement

Yes – Yoga is for You!

by ultrapeg
lotusopti
Peace and Freedom

As a strong advocate of yoga for all, I am somewhat disturbed by the proliferation of images that portray yoga as more like gymnastics than the cultivation of a mind/body connection.  Yoga was originally developed as a contemplative practice to assist with the physical demands of seated meditation.  Somewhere along the line certain branches of the practice have taken a turn to the athletic.  In fact there has been a movement in recent years to make yoga a competitive sport.  This is fine for some. Unfortunately, however, this tends to intimidate people who think they are too old or infirm or inflexible or whatever to do yoga.  That, of course, is completely untrue.  One does not need to be flexible to do yoga. Although yoga will not alter genes or inherent physical attributes, it can improve flexibility and encourage greater mobility in regular practitioners.  Fortunately, there is also a growing segment of the yoga community that is advancing the practice of yoga as therapy, expanding on its roots as an inner as well as outer practice.

The keys to experiencing the benefits of yoga, both physically and mentally, are letting go of expectations and maintaining a consistent practice.  It is entirely possible that you will never be able to touch your toes in a forward fold.  But here’s a revelation – it doesn’t matter!  If you practice forward folds consistently, they will become more comfortable and you will experience their benefits.  These include calming the nervous system, quieting the mind, and helping to relieve stress and anxiety. Forward bends also stretch the hamstrings and calves, notoriously tight areas for most of us that can lead to additional problems in the hips, knees and lower back.  And now for another revelation: according to a Yoga Journal article by long time yoga teacher Baxter Bell “90% of people [need help] doing [forward bends] safely”.  So if forward bends are a problem for you, you are certainly not alone.  This is what props are for.  Using props is not a sign of weakness.  It is a sign of self-love, self-compassion and finding the joy that accompanies true acceptance of reality.   Remember also that today’s reality is transient just like everything else.  So accepting and accomodating the reality of today doesn’t have to mean forever.  Just for today practice they way that feels best for you.  That may change tomorrow.  Or it may not.  But today is the most important day.  It deserves your attention.

It doesn’t help that we live in a culture that does not value aging.  Youth is celebrated to the extent that we are constantly bombarded with images that implore us to deny the natural – and inescapable – reality of changing physical bodies.  Instead we are encouraged to follow the next great product or procedure to the impossibility of eternal youth.  We find ourselves falling into the trap of denying reality and living with the false hope that we can avoid change or return to some magical time when everything was perfect.  It’s amazing what hindsight allows us to believe.  The fact is that just by virtue of having lived longer than younger people we have accumulated a certain amount of wisdom simply through experience.  Sometimes the noise of the youth culture becomes so overwhelming that we, too, forget to value this wisdom.  Here are some quotes from one of the founders of modern yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar:

“Do not look at others’ bodies with envy or with superiority.  All people are born with different constitutions.  Never compare with others.  Each one’s capacities are a function of his or her internal strength.  Know your capacities and continually improve upon them.”

“Action is movement with intelligence. The world is filled with movement. What the world needs is more conscious movement. . .”

Yoga Journal and Yoga Alliance recently completed a study titled 2016 Yoga in America.  Highlights include documentation of the increase in yoga participation throughout the U.S. even in remote and rural areas.  This is not exactly big news to most of us, but some of the statistics are surprising. Among them, more men are practicing yoga.  Also the number of participants aged 55 and older has increased by a whopping 10 million people in the 4 years since 2012 (from 4 million in 2012 to 14 million in 2016).  The article anticipates that this population “may usher in a wave of softer and more meditative practices.”  Fortunately, this is already happening.  Those of you who are lumping all yoga classes into some broad category of sun salutations and arm balances would do well to take a second look.  Most studios offer a variety of classes.  Check out the descriptions or speak with an instructor before making assumptions about what you can and can’t do.  The study also points to the increase in the number of trained yoga teachers.  For every current teacher, there are 2 more who are training to be teachers. This means that there is a choice in teachers.  So if you try a class and don’t like it, my first suggestion is to try again.  Everyone has a bad day and your own anxiety could have been part of your judgment.  If you still don’t like the class, try a different teacher.  American yoga has greatly expanded on the original methods of yoga that came from India.  Today there are so many styles and teachers bring many different backgrounds and interests to their classes.  So don’t give up.  With a little patience and persistence you will likely find a practice that works for you.

Finally, the study cites all of the benefits enjoyed by yoga practioners.  These include a more positive self-image, increased likelihood to be active in other ways, relief of stress and overall health improvement.  Those who take classes also have the benefit of community.  So if you are new or returning to yoga after an absence, be kind to yourself.  Let the past go.  Just for today, accept where you’re at right now.  Don’t try to push yourself beyond your capacity.  Pay attention to your own body and listen to what it is telling you.  Use props and make adjustments as needed.  And accept support.  Ask your teacher for help with whatever accommodations you might need.  Don’t compare yourself to anyone else.  Regardless of what you think your poses look like, you are a real yogi just like all other practitioners.  Relax and enjoy!  You, too, deserve the benefits of yoga.

It’s Not Life and Death – It’s Yoga!

by ultrapeg
meditation23opti
Peace

It continues to sadden me when I hear people say that they are afraid to try a yoga or Pilates class because their inexperience or perceived inability will hold back the rest of the class.  This is a topic I have addressed before but because it so frequently recurs, it is worth another look.  When these kinds of thoughts get stuck in one’s mind it can be difficult to dislodge them, but here are some possible strategies to try.

A recent article in Yoga Journal cited anxiety disorders as the most “common mental illness in the United States”. Although anxiety experts often recommend yoga and other mindfulness practices as an antidote for anxiety, the paradox of anxiety over “doing it right” and can create an insurmountable wall.  Here’s a possible solution:  keep it simple!  Remind yourself that you don’t have to do everything included in the class just because it’s there.  Pick and choose.  Skip parts that make you nervous.  Simply take a break and rest.  Or try watching and listening to the instructor so that you might be able to try that move another time.  You can also speak with the instructor after class and see if there is another way to get the same benefit.  The purpose of a mind-body practice is for each person to develop their own inner connections.  This requires practicing individual internal focus.  When you’re focussed on yourself it is difficult to pay any attention to what anyone else is doing. So chances are no one else is watching you.

Another strategy I use frequently is the 15-minute rule.  This can be applied to any task that seems overwhelming. Tell yourself you will only do whatever it is for 15 minutes.  Then if you’re still really uncomfortable or unhappy you can stop.  You can either choose to take a break as discussed above.  Or you can leave.  The doors to my classes are never locked.  Anyone can leave at any time.  If you’re still feeling OK at the 15-minute mark, give yourself another 15 minutes.  Before you know it, you’ll have made it through the entire class and still be OK.  Amazing! If 15 minutes is still too daunting, make it 10 minutes. Set your own rules.

Allow your curiousity to flow with your practice. Instead of forcing a particular pose because you think it’s supposed to look a certain way, try experimenting.  Maybe an approximation can feel just as good.  After all that is the goal here – to feel good!  Recently I have been leading an exercise class in a local nursing home.  Among other things, we have been practicing getting up from a chair without using our hands. One lady was so successful she could even come to standing.  I told her that regular practice of this technique would keep her strong.  She said, “Why do I need to be strong?  We’re all going to die.”  No argument there.  But the fact is that we are engaging in these practices because we are all currently living.  And every day that we feel good and live well is a good day.  While we’re here we might as well feel as good as we can.  Life can be a mine field.  Whatever we can do to assist with navigation is worth doing.

Change is another powerful force to keep in mind.  Everything changes all the time.  Ourselves included.  Even when we don’t notice it, each one of us changes every day.  That means that each day you are starting from a different place from the day before.  And always you have to start where you’re at.  Some days you may feel great and everything comes easily with surprisingly few obstacles.  The next day may be totally different causing you to get down on yourself for having lost the capacity that seemed so available yesterday.  But the reverse can also happen. Something you’ve struggled with seemingly forever can suddenly become accessible.  This is a great feeling that can make all the pain of getting there fade away.  But even this is subject to change.  So leave the past behind where it belongs and instead explore the wonder of who you are today.  Then go from there.  Take it slow if you need to or dive in if you need the challenge.  Once again, you’re in charge.  Do what works for you.

Of course, there is also my favorite concept – practice.  That is my mantra.  Remember the old saw – what does it take to get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.  That does not mean that any of us will ever be perfect.  And there may be other people who will always be better at whatever it is than we are.  But regular practice of will result in improvement.  And improvement feels good!

Finally, it is worth reminding everyone that this is not a matter of life and death – it’s yoga.  Lighten up, folks.  Don’t take yourselves so seriously.  Do you know what children do when they fall out of a balance pose?  They giggle.  And then they try again.  There’s a lesson there. This is all about having fun.  In my ultrarunning days I would often arrive at aid stations and hear the volunteers there comment on how cheerful I looked even in the worst of conditions.  My response was always, “I’m in this for recreation.  When I stop having fun I will stop doing it.”  And, in fact, that’s what I did.  Yoga and Pilates have been my mainstays ever since.  You are all welcome to join me any time.