Anyone who comes to my classes will have heard me say countless times that yoga isn’t about how good we are at creating shapes with our body, or how flexible our hamstrings are. Yoga is a HUGE philosophy and way of life – it teaches us how to find stillness (on and off the mat), how to behave towards ourselves and others, and how to live happier and more fulfilled lives.
It can take time to realise and appreciate this and often the wonderful impact yoga has on our life just seeps in without us hardly noticing at all.
So, once we understand this, we can start to measure our progress in so many different ways. If we only ever focused on the physical shapes, we might only ever measure our progress by how far our fingertips can reach towards the floor in a forward fold or how long we can hold Warrior 2. And, of course, this is a great measure of progress but it’s only one tiny measure and it can take time and consistent practice to start seeing results.
In the meantime, it’s important to look at other areas of your life to spot the signs of progress that can often be just as valuable. Maybe you feel stronger and more balanced going up and down stairs. Maybe you feel taller and you can reach something on the top shelf that would usually be too much of a stretch. Maybe you feel ‘looser’ with less tension in your neck and shoulders. Maybe that niggle in your lower back has disappeared without you being conscious of when it actually went. Maybe you feel calmer and notice yourself reacting less to things that would have stressed you out before. Maybe you’re more conscious of your posture when sat at your desk or walking. Maybe you can still your mind more easily and for longer without anxious thoughts popping into your head – that’s a HUGE sign of progress for sure!
There are so many lessons we learn on the mat that may start to change the way you think and behave off the mat. For example, on the mat, we listen to our bodies and learn to accept that today we may not be able to do a pose we could do last week/month/year. Off the mat, this helps us to accept things that we cannot change and to let those frustrations go. On the mat, when our legs are burning in Chair Pose and we experience the relief when we come up to standing, this teaches us that everything is temporary and can help us be strong in tough times. So many lessons… too many to write in one blog!
So the next time time you feel frustrated that you’re not making progress in your yoga practice, step away from the poses themselves and look more holistically at your life and you might be surprised just how much progress you’ve actually made.
Michelle x
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