Things Yoga Has Taught Me

That I wasn’t okay, and that’s OK

Prior to finding yoga, my general coping mechanism in life was to just carry on; carry on going to work, carry on working out, carrying on going out in the evenings, carry on smiling. All of those things are fine, of course, the issue was that I was using these things to conceal feelings and emotions that I had no intention of actually dealing with. My attitude in life when confronted with upsetting/traumatic/stressful events has always been to pick myself up and move on. Although this is still very much the case, the difference I have implemented since becoming an avid yogi, is learning how to address those emotions, bring them to the surface, accept what each emotion has taught me, release the emotion, and then carry on.

Learning how to implement this cycle has been lifechanging. Knowing how to feel and release emotions and trauma has made me loose a sense of fear that I used to carry. I would often feel held back from new/different situations and opportunities out of fear that making myself vulnerable and opening new doors could potentially leave me hurt in the end. The reason I was afraid of getting hurt is because I didn’t know how to handle the emotion, I couldn’t bare the thought of not being the happiest version of myself.

Truthfully, until you lose that fear; it’s impossible for you to be the happiest version of yourself. Once you understand this, and combine it with the knowledge of how to handle your emotions – you are essentially limitless. Nothing can stop you, because no opinion, ending or obstacle can set you back anymore. It can still hurt you, but if it does; you let it hurt, you heal, and you carry on.

How did yoga teach me to handle emotion? Firstly, yoga taught me that we hold emotion in our bodies, for women this happens predominantly in the hips. We generally go through life thinking that the aches and pains we are experiencing are just situational occurrences’ after long working days at a desk or behind the wheel of a car. Often this is the case, but these pains are also emotions that we are storing in the body which, when left alone, result in physical pain. During yoga practice, we learn to lean in to these areas of the body and begin to soften and release the tension we have been carrying, and set it free.

Happiness is an inside job

I can’t tell you the number of times that I have convinced myself that hunting down external stimuli in a pursuit of happiness is the answer to my prayers. Whether that’s relationships, achieving a certain body, a new wardrobe or an upgraded car – I’ve done it all. And from my experience, I can confirm that none of the above have been successful. I wont lie, having nice shiny things is always a bonus, and can soften the blow of challenges you may face throughout your life, but shiny things will not fix your problems, and they will most definitely not make you happy. Happiness, my friends, starts with you.

So where do you begin on your pursuit of happiness (I can’t help but think of Will Smith as I write this)? You start by finding time for yourself; and if you’re someone who is sitting there thinking I can’t possibly make any time for myself my schedule is too busy, then you need more time for yourself than anyone else. You may run a super successful business, be a doting mother/father of five, or a uni student living off of pot noodles attending five zoom lectures a day; whoever you are and whatever you do, you can’t successfully show up as the best version of yourself for your varied commitments unless you have made time for yourself too.

For me, I found that time in yoga. I give one hundred percent of myself to whatever I do in life, but when I step on to my mat, nothing else matters. That time is sacred, it’s a time for the stress of the day to melt away and for my focus to be solely on myself, my breath and my movement. Once I leave each session I feel like superwoman, often a slightly tired and sweaty superwoman, but never the less I feel revived and ready to give my all to whoever/whatever needs me.

For you this may be running, meditation, pottery, football, journaling, walking; whatever it is, find something that is just for you, and make a promise to yourself to dedicate time each day, each week, however often you can manage, for yourself. Remember, you have to give as much love and effort to yourself as you give to all of your passions in life.

Skill is irrelevant

Whenever people speak to me about yoga, they are always so intrigued, so keen to try a class but are holding back for one of two reasons; they either think they’re not fit enough or not flexible enough. I get it, I used to feel the same; Instagram is saturated with perfectly poised, toned and bendy yogis. Although what they are demonstrating is incredible skill, it is a daunting and unrealistic representation of what every day yoga looks like for someone who is considering signing up to a class. Don’t get me wrong; with the right dedication, determination and desire; anyone can become a reflection of those insta yogis, but no one starts there, and that’s not what yoga is about.

First of all, when you are ready to begin your journey, I would recommend that you go to a beginner only class. This will take away the pressure of feeling like you won’t be able to keep up, as you will be in the same boat as everyone else. Second of all, its not about what you look like or whether you can touch your toes, it’s about how you feel; the effect that moving in synchrony with your own breath has on your mind. It’s that feeling that will keep you coming back. Everyone has to start somewhere; the hardest part is making the decision to step on to your mat for the first time. Once you get that far, you won’t be able to resist coming back for more.