Avocation Part 2: Yoga Life
October 9, 2018
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Second in the avocation series is yoga. A physical practice that was more necessity than hobby but when I was practicing I wanted nothing else.
Yoga was a game changer for me. Everyone in my life knew if I hadn’t been to the studio. Despite my profession, a yoga practice transformed me into a nicer human.
A humble beginner
I already told you how I found yoga. You can read that story in a past post. According to my studio account, I started my current “yoga journey” August 2012. I went regularly for about a year before I started purchasing unlimited passes. I continued to go steadily. That lasted until I found out I was pregnant in June of 2015, then I fell off of the map. I went to a pregnancy yoga class for most of my pregnancy. I wasn’t too interested in prenatal yoga. The last time I was in a studio was February 2017.
6 years later still a beginner
With my new fitness goals in place, to workout some way shape or form every day, I attempted yoga at home again. See time lapse below.
At home I failed to duplicate the same feeling I got at the studio. There was a sense of ALL tension falling away. Lighter, in every sense of the word was the only way to describe it. In my office I am reading book titles from the shelves, telling the cat to shut up, wondering who just texted me. In the living room I am trying not to hit the ceiling fan, the phone rings, the dog is barking at someone. I’m not tall, the ceiling is really low.
Nothing in life is easy, especially something that can change you into a better version of yourself. Yes, I am deeply biased. At one time I was damn near an evangelist sprouting propaganda for anyone who would stand still “YOGA is the panacea.” I am aware that there is no such thing.
Benefits
What this magical practice did do for me was kinda crazy. No more body pains, I was cycling and skating at the time, two sports that rough on the body. I have scoliosis, a twisted spine. The muscle spasms that I had regularly experienced had subsided. No more creaky knees. I STOPPED SNORING and I still have no clue how that happened. I was sleeping through the night: insomnia, and nocturnal panic attacks. Mood control, I get the hangry. I was just nicer in general.
The obvious question is……If this was so great, why did I stop? I had a whole paragraph of excuses typed out and I just deleted them. Lets talk about the fact that I have been trying to practice at home and its going ok. Not great, just ok. I know I am going to have to just push through the distractions and get it done!
Yoga goals
I want to be informed and confident enough to suggest poses and books to clients. From what I have experienced, yoga (almost any specialty) would help mental health clients. I have an ethical obligation stay within my scope of practice and completing a yoga teacher training would provide me would the information I need to help more people.
Also I want to feel better again. There is nothing like getting through a particularly difficult class or being reminded of how amazing our bodies are. Sleeping through the night would be awesome. There are some self serving motivations here. One of my favorite authors said it best:
Taking care of ourselves is not an option, but rather a mandate by our ethical codes. It is widely recognized that if we are not functioning at an optimal level, it is highly unlikely that we can be all that helpful to others.
pg. 256 Jeffrey A. Kottler. On Being a Therapist: Fourth Edition.
Obligated to do better!!
For you
If you find something that changes you for the better, don’t do what I did. Don’t let it go. Move your life around what ever that it. For me that was yoga. I let it go and that was a mistake. Let me know what you do to feel more like yourself.
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