In our busy lives these days, we always seem to need something to do. Stay busy. Getting things done. Check things off our list.
Likewise, if we love yoga – and the way it makes us feel in our body and mind – we often really enjoy doing it. And that can be a good thing. Having a practice and “doing” the poses is seen as doing good things for our bodies.
And yet
If we spend our whole lives doing, then maybe a little undoing would sometimes be a better thing?
I know that if I sit hunched over my computer most of the day (which is unfortunately the case these days), I’ve created tension throughout my neck and shoulder area. Not to mention my lower back and legs.
I don’t think it’s necessarily a good practice for me to then launch into rounds of sun salutations, or focus on alignment which inevitably puts more stress on areas of my body that are already a little tense .
But if I’ve spent a morning away from the office and my body feels freer that day, a stronger practice might suit me better.
There are many schools of yoga, but they can often be divided into two different types: yoga as a dynamic physical practice or yoga for release and relaxation.
I think there’s room for both and I actually see them as a perfect counterbalance to each other.
Do
- Promotes the necessary muscular strength;
- Stretches muscles and increases flexibility;
- More intense styles of yoga can provide a cardio workout.
Doing comes naturally to some of us. We like to feel that we are progressing and that tangible results motivate us to practice more.
Loss
- Releases tension and increases flexibility;
- Relaxes the body and mind;
- Take us out of our habit of doing, which can become automatic, or mechanical (and no one wants a mechanical practice or anything mechanical in life, for that matter).
To undo is not to do nothing. It’s not just about relaxing at Savansana. This may seem simple, but it is more difficult to achieve than we first imagine. “Doing” is so ingrained in us that it seems very foreign to practice something whose results are not tangible but more intuitive. There is no measurable progress in losing, sometimes it just means you are able to better handle the usual stressors of daily life. Maybe worry a little less.
Your body; Your Yoga
As you become more fluent in your own practice, you become more attuned to your physical and emotional needs. A flexible (no pun intended!) practice is best: strong when you need it, or gentle that builds and undoes when your body or mind is full of tension, or when the weather or season suggests you need it. do less. Midsummer and the depths of winter are prime times to succumb to our natural instincts and work toward our defeat.
Yoga in Henleaze
I’ve started some new classes at a lovely studio nestled in Henleaze. These gentle yoga classes for quarantine provide a weekly opportunity to both do (build strength, mobility, and resilience) and undo (release mental stress). I would love for you to join me.
Doing but also undoing – a yoga balance exercise. Which one do you usually opt for? A little bit of both, it’s the perfect combination!