Has your Yoga been Hijacked?
You’re in a beautiful yoga studio taking class with a teacher you really enjoy. You’ve been feeling great, but then your teacher introduces the peak pose. You gather your courage to try it, step onto a wobbly leg and... fall onto your mat. Luckily your body is ok, but your mind is filled with negative thoughts like: “I shouldn’t have done this. What was I thinking? I suck at yoga.” It keeps going saying: “This is embarrassing I should never come back. I’ll never ever get that pose.”
Your Yoga’s been Hijacked
When you start talking negatively about yourself just because you didn’t get a yoga pose, somewhere along the way your mind hijacked your yoga practice. Instead of seeing the practice as an unfolding journey of exploration you’ve gotten into the mindset that your practice has a destination.
Once your mind starts to see your yoga poses as achievements to check off of a list rather than experiences to savor, negativity creeps in. When poses aren’t going well you start telling yourself things that drag you down instead of supporting you.
It's easy to attach your self-worth to how well your yoga poses are going. Then it’s a slippery slope where your yoga mat becomes yet another place to beat yourself up for not being good enough.
Let me just tell you, that’s BS
Yoga is a Journey
What’s more true is that the yoga poses are not destinations in themselves, they are journeys we make with our bodies into shape and form. They give us new information and transform us on many levels.
And they’re never done.
There is no final destination in yoga - there is only the practice.
More important than achieving the “perfect” pose is your participation in the journey. That means that you try the pose, not that you succeed in the pose. Your growth and transformation happen when you are wholeheartedly in your practice -fully present for all of your attempts, failures and successes. It never comes from checking a pose off the list.
My friend the yoga therapist
My friend, Randy, is deeply knowledgeable about the biomechanics of the body and is a skilled yoga therapist and yoga teacher trainer.
He also can barely touch his toes when he bends over.
To do a forward fold, Randy takes his feet almost as wide as his mat, bends his knees and sticks his butt way out. He does it this way because he had a bulging disc in his back and this alignment healed the disc.
He adjusted his practice because he knows he’s on a journey of self discovery that is about more than touching his toes. He doesn’t get down on himself for practicing differently. In fact, he cheers himself on for taking such good care of himself.
Remember, yoga transforms you on many levels. After working like this for years, Randy is more peaceful and fun to be around and he’s become a truly compassionate teacher.
What to do when you mess up in yoga class
When you’ve just fallen down and negative thoughts come up, here’s what to do:
Notice if your desire to do the pose got in the way of your desire to experience your yoga journey.
If so, acknowledge that that happened, and don’t beat yourself up for it.
Remind yourself you’re on a journey, you’re not headed for a destination.
Take a breath, step back on your mat, do your best to let it go and move into the present moment by focusing on experiencing the next pose.
If you’re still feeling negative, try switching from criticism to curiosity. Start asking questions.
Ask yourself:
What information am I missing to be able to get this pose?
Do I need other poses before this one to help me get ready?
What would I like to do differently the next time I try the pose?”
Take your questions to a trusted teacher or explore them on your own. Being curious helps you keep growing and furthers your yoga journey.
Remember
The next time a pose doesn’t come to you easily, remember you are in an evolving process, you are not creating a final product. Recognize and release your negative thoughts and see that there is beauty in your attempts. Finally, get curious, let your questions help you grow.
Your yoga practice will thank you.