Does Yoga Work?
Can this contemplative practice actually create peace within?
It's often difficult to recognize the value of tough times when we're going through them, but looking back, we can see how those experiences shaped us into the resilient individuals we are today. Remembering this can help us find strength and perseverance during future challenges.
In September 2022, Kendall and I found ourselves through one of the most difficult times we've lived together. In the past, we both had gone through divorce and painful custody battles, and our most recent experience rivals those experiences. We faced new debilitating feelings of anguish, fear, and anxiety. The difficult experience left us feeling disconnected from a world we thought we knew. Our bodies and minds wanted to run so fast but there was nowhere to go, but home.
You may know what followed next: night sweats, crippling anxiety, feelings of worthlessness. We asked ourselves on a daily basis, how do we move forward from here? how do we pick up the pieces and get up?
We immediately ran to the one toolbox we know but was difficult to open because we felt that the toolbox was broken. I (we) searched within it to find one piece that could comfort me (us) so I could regain the strength to be a mother, a daughter and a wife. My dad once stated, "Monica, yoga is not everything" I kindly suggested back, perhaps it is, Dad.
So here I was, pondering THAT statement, is yoga really everything? Can it really carry me when I can't seem to find a footing? it absofuckinglutely can, for me. This, however, could have been a different answer if it had not been for my daily training. What started as an exercise routine transformed into concentration and eventually meditation. I've hardwired yoga into the depths of my being that is now inextricable from who I am and who I will be. Can it work for you? it absofuckinglutely can, but you just like anything you have to work it, every fucking day. #yogaeverydamnday
In our 500 hr yoga program we studied "Buddha's Brain" by Rick Hanson. This book explains the neuroplasticity of wellness and how we can embody peace and contentment. Great book in theory, but when you know what your body is experiencing, it’s really difficult endeavor mindfulness. I desperately wanted my brain and body to snap back, but I knew from science that it was going to take time, maybe a LOT of time. So I started by walking the path again with my body: right side, Warrior 1, Warrior 2, Peaceful Warrior, Twisting Lunge, Chatturanga. Left side, Warrior 1, Warrior 2, Peaceful Warrior, Twisting Lunge, Chatturanga...... Remember, Monica........Child's pose, I cried...... Meditate......Start again….Pick up the pieces and keep chopping wood.
We didn't know if I (we) would/could teach again, so we just tried to set that aside and move the emotions so that we could work our jobs and be functional for us and our family. Yoga in the morning, yoga at night, yoga for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Not the postures, but the way we interacted with ourselves and the world around us: practice loving-kindness, practice giving, practice truth, practice letting go, practice balance, practice cleanliness, practice contentment, experience the present moment, self-study, have faith on the divine. HAVE FAITH ON THE DIVINE!
In all of this, we understand there is no magic pill, there is no quick ticket to contentment; we understand that the experience is the point and trust that the dots will connect. Yoga does offer us the promise to bring us back home and the opportunity to see ourselves in every face, and to recognize that one day our struggles will not be there. Yoga teaches us to be patient by showing us that love WILL carry us home.
How do we find the strength to persevere during tough times?
Finding strength during tough times can vary from person to person, but some common ways include seeking support from loved ones or a professional, practicing self-care activities such as exercise and meditation, setting small achievable goals, and reframing negative thoughts. It's also important to remember that it's okay to ask for help and to take things one day at a time.
