Have you ever been to the doctor with pain or a problem and they just told you: Here, take these pills, there is nothing we can do for you.’ And in that conversation did you feel listened to and heard, like there was an intention to support you towards feeling better? Did you leave feeling a defeated, with a sense that something else is possible, but you’re not sure what and don’t know where to start?
There definitely are moments where medication is a brilliant idea. And I do believe that doctors do the best the can with the time they are given. I’m on medication to protect my kidneys. Ánd there is more! Diet and lifestyle are a very important part of working with my kidney condition as well and have kept me off of heavy medication. So there can always be this question of: Why would I want to change something about my pain or anxiety with yoga therapy? Without actually having to do it myself, I can already experience less pain. The masseur/physiotherapist/chiropractor/psychologist/medication etc can also help me. And when when the pain or anxiety comes back I just go again. Good idea!
If that works for you, that’s absolutely perfect.
Yoga therapy is not for everyone either. I don’t recommend starting yoga therapy if you don’t have the time or inclination to create space with regularity to explore your movement and body and what it does for you. Nor is it for you if you want a quick fix and would rather not look at the underlying problem, the root cause, and work on that. If you do want a sustainable result and are curious about your (movement)patterns and how to improve them, it doesn’t mean spending hours a day working on yourself. It’s in the regularity of moments with full attention that can bring a lot of change.
The comparison I make when someone asks “how often should I do this?” is first of all, do what you can and what makes you feel good. You are doing this for yourself, not for me. AND when you have broken your writing arm and have to learn to write with your wrong hand (not that we write that much now, but just for the idea) then, if you practise for 20 minutes every day, you will make faster progress than if you do something for 5 minutes twice a week. And when you go on for 3 hours straight every day, your arm might hurt after a week. It’s all about balance and the occasional relapse ánd there is always something to learn from it.
Yoga therapy is a holistic way of doing self-examination of your (movement) patterns, under guidance. Learning to reconnect with your body and the signals it gives you, so that you yourself can gain understanding and control of your pain or discomfort. It’s not just physical, but also mental and emotional. Everything is always connected. Then, when something new occurs, you have the knowledge and experience to find balance again (possibly without help).
Once you learn more about yourself, you can no longer not know. The familiar door you step through and can’t go back through. I’ve heard ‘ignorance is bliss’ go through my head so many times, nicely sticking my head in the sand. Pretending it’s not there and will go away by itself. Or with excuses of ‘that’s just part of ageing’.
Now I know better. It is very empowering to know what is going on, because then at least I can take action.
Yoga therapy can be part of your path of personal development. In the long run, it is a path of growth and becoming freer in your body. Short term, it can be fun and interesting and quickly give relief from (chronic) pain and discomfort, but it can also be confronting. Confrontation is not always fun, so it’s nice if you have or can create the space to be with it or have support from family, friends or a therapist. The beauty is though, that you work towards a sustainable solution. From here it gets easier to deal with what life throws at you.
And don’t have to do it alone!
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