HOW YOGA CHANGED THE WAY I THINK ABOUT MY BODY
Sometimes I become shocked at how my mental talk towards my body has changed in the past two years. I struggled with my body image from a very young age. I have struggled with eating disorders, excessive working out and extreme dieting in the past. My relationship with food has always been weird, but mostly due to the fear that it would make me look larger the more I ate of it. Never would I have ever predicted that I wouldn’t still be struggling daily with this stuff.
Yoga taught me that moving in your body doesn’t have to be scary. Feeling your muscles work doesn’t have to involve weights if you don’t want it to. Your time with your body can look however you want it to – having a workout regimen isn’t a one-size fits all kind of thing. Every individual has their own body. Therefore, every person has their own thing that works; every individual body has different needs. The most important take away thus far would be that obsessing over “results” is usually my downfall… while I couldn’t care less about that nowadays.
I describe my body to myself as “doing its best” because that is what it is – I do yoga when I feel well enough to throughout the day and I walk the dogs to keep my body moving when yoga doesn’t feel accessible in my body. As someone living without a thyroid, it becomes very difficult to reason with myself to get up and move when I have no energy at the end of the day. Yoga became that thing that I could get myself to do because I could customize the flow to be as active or passive and slow as I wanted it to do. I allow my body to decide what feels good that day and what does not. It’s amazing what happens when you listen to your body.
In class, I often tell people to notice the little things about their body. When we stretch one side of our neck, I bring attention to the other side. I explain that noticing which side feels like it has more tension can deepen your relationship with your body. While no one else really cares about those little things, you should. Making these little realizations throughout your flow is when the real healing comes in. Once you start to notice where you hold tension throughout your body, you can then start personalizing your practice to stretch a few breaths more on one side than the other and so on.
I talk a lot about “sending your breath” into where you feel the stretch. While this cue might be hard to relate to at first, students have found it to be extremely helpful in reaching the deeper understanding of yoga within themselves on a physical and spiritual level. Creating space in your muscles and body in general is something only you have control over – it’s all about bringing your awareness to the stretch you are feeling in the moment, releasing any tension, and then sending fresh air into those pockets that you are opening. When doing this, you are creating intentional space in your body for positive thoughts, ideas, and memories to grow.
Yoga is also a judgement-free zone. If you ever feel the opposite, it’s time to find a new class or instructor! If that judgement is from yourself, which it often is, let go of that! You are doing your best in your body. You are doing the work by stretching into your muscles, feelings the corners of your skin, and connecting with your breath on a deeper level. That is much more than most people can say!
Forgiveness is a huge theme in addiction recovery, and I believe that can be directly brought into the practice of yoga. You need to be forgiving toward yourself and your body. If your body doesn’t feel like going deep into a stretch that is normally super accessible, that is okay! Listen to what your body tells you, adjust your flow to fit those needs, and move on to a different stretch that your body warmly welcomes.
The practice goes to such deeper levels than “just stretching” or reaching peak poses. It is all about the journey to the final poses. You cannot reach a pose properly without the steps and minor stretches leading up to it. This belief can be carried over to various areas in your life. Practicing this patience with your body will translate into patience with the real world and when reaching your life goals.
Unfortunately, this day in age, almost everyone can admit they have struggled with their body image at some point in their life. All our bodies deserve forgiveness – we are all doing the best we can with what we have at the time. We are only human, and our body isn’t made to be perfect. Once you fully accept that, your mindset will change for the better. Having no expectations for your body and rather adjusting your practice (even if your practice goes farther than yoga) is what will be the ultimate game changer.
Be obsessed with the current moment, not the results weeks from now.
Since finding this acceptance that my body is what it is, I don’t find myself thinking “I look so fat” or “yuck, I’m so bloated” as much anymore. Of course, I’m human, so these things do come up. I am not always thrilled with the way I look physically. However, the difference between now and years ago is that I have this backbone of understanding with my body. When I think those thoughts, it just reiterates to myself that this bond with my body is a lifelong one that takes daily work and energy just as any other relationships in my life do.
The difference between the two is that you only get one body. Relationships with other people and things come and go, but you and your body will always be there. The one who is affected most by how you feel towards yourself is you. Make sure you make the connection an invaluable one.
#howyogachangedthewayilookatmybody
