What we need in life... lessons from the mat volume 2

So a few weeks ago, I took a poll among my friends and asked them to let me know the first word that they thought of when they heard the word "yoga." The following is a list of responses I received:
Peace 
Happiness
Mindfulness
Relaxing
Pants 😋
Flexibility
Bent
Stretching
Namaste
Breath
Calm
Balance
Centered
Control
Strength 
Goodness
Surrender
Play
Of note, more playful responses included Yogi Bear, mat, station wagons, tattoos and some others that were more PG13. ☺️

Additionally, most people that responded to this question, to my knowledge, have little experience with a longstanding yoga practice. 

So why did I ask this question? As a therapist and now a yoga teacher in training, I'm starting to make more and more connections between what people are searching for in their lives and what yoga (and a good therapist) can offer them! 

Our world seems to be the exact opposite of what we are striving for. As a society, we are consumed by the scarcity problem of "not enough" and multitasking and being over stimulated. Our children can no longer sit at a dinner table without having their iPads on watching movies and playing games. Self-disclosure here-- I frequently catch myself watching a TV show but at the same time checking Facebook or Instagram, or looking to see if there are any entertaining articles on Buzzfeed. 

Why are we all so guilty of doing the very things in life that are only taking us further away from our goals and values. 

That's another thing I noticed about the responses that I got. Many of them are not just goals, but values! Acceptance and Committment Therapy (which I frequently utilize in session) teaches us that we experience more discord and conflict within ourselves and with others when we make decisions and choices that are incongruent with our values. 

Some of my values include balance, peace, play, and flexibility. Hmmm... Same things that yoga can give me! I personally feel that I am living more congruent with my personal values when I'm on my mat and I try to maintain that when I get off the mat and back into the "real world." 

I constantly recommend and encourage my clients to start a yoga practice. When they do this, they begin to feel better physically and emotionally! Yoga assists in strengthening the connection between the mind and body. Many of my clients lack this connection. Therapy and yoga can help get that connection back! So that we can live a values driven life! 

How else do you live life congruent with your values? Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone and try a yoga class? Do things WITH fear! What's worth doing even IF you fail or fall? You can pick yourself back up, it is possible. It may not be pretty or easy, but it's possible. More on that another time though. 

Namaste 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is it me? Am I the crazy one?

Funny how certain themes tend to weave their ways into various settings. I'll have the majority of my clients talk about the same theme during a week. Sometimes, it stirs up something in me too...that gives me additional insight into one of my own struggles. This particular theme has been one I myself have personally struggled with during different seasons of my life (just manifesting itself differently now) and one of my clients has continued to struggle with at various times in her life.  Things clicked tonight in our session... At least for me... Think she's still processing it. ☺️ One of my favorite sites is a site called "Elephant Journal," filled with various stories and blogs. Yesterday I came across this one.... http://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/10/i-am-not-who-i-once-was-who-we-become-after-trauma/  (sorry I'm not tech savvy enough to do a hyperlink on my phone! 😬). If you don't feel like reading the entire post, it's basically about how someon
Read more

Attachment

Attachment.  It's a word I hear frequently in my work as a psychotherapist and as a yoga teacher.  As a therapist, I've used it in the context of an individual having an attachment disorder, unable to bond with others.  This can be a result of many things, abandonment, neglect, or abuse just to name a few.  There are attachment disorders which can result in a myriad of issues during one's life.  However, I am not going to be focusing on these types of disorders today.  Today, I want to focus on the concept of "non-attachment" which is something that is always buzzing around in the yoga world.  Long story short here with some Yoga History... there are 8 limbs of yoga... the physical practice of yoga (asana) is just ONE of the ways to practice yoga.  There are many other ways, including the Yamas and Niyamas, which is basically the "dos and don'ts" in life.  It's like a moral compass if you will.  Aparigraha is one of the Yamas and it essential
Read more

The Counterpose for Life

Lessons from the mat….  The counterpose for LIFE…. Supported Fish…..  Think about how we live our daily lives.  Shoulders hunched over, head down, shoulders and neck tense. Fast and hurried.  Just get me through this day as fast as possible so I can go to bed, get back up in the morning and do it all over again.  We don’t trust. We aren’t vulnerable. We don’t use our voice or advocate for ourselves, told to “keep quiet.” We protect and shield our hearts, fear of being hurt, damaged further.  As a yoga teacher and a psychotherapist I have recognized that our practice on the mat often mirrors how we live. Think about your practice, if you have one.  Do you struggle with balance poses? How about balance in life? Do you get anger or frustrated if you have to sit still or are challenged? Do you give up and think you’re not good enough if a class or asana is to challenging or advanced for you? Do you show up in all power classes, pounding away on the mat, giving it 110% all
Read more