What Yoga Taught Me

Grab your coffee and let’s have a chat.

Last week, at my yoga studio on Kent Island (Foundations – come join us!), we started having a discussion about yoga and nutrition. As someone who has been in the fitness world as a professional for almost 10 years, nutrition is a topic that comes up all the time. While I’m not a dietician or nutritionist, I do have some of my own personal experiences and thoughts to share.

For me, nutrition goes beyond the plate. Sure, I know when I’m feeling sluggish or not quite right that the biggest thing I need to do is 1) get sleep or 2) check in with my eats. But everything outside those two major life components is also included in overall nutrition and wellness.

Let me explain. When I wanted to lose weight, it was a battle. It didn’t happen quickly, and it wasn’t easy. It took time and effort, which is never what anyone wants to hear. The only thing that made it easier? My attitude and the way I talked to myself. When I was constantly telling myself “you need to lose weight, you’re too large” or “oh sure, go ahead and eat that cookie, why do you care about how you look and feel?” I would immediately fall into a cycle of gaining weight and feeling awful. When I started to encourage myself, I stood taller and made better decisions.

That’s why I like to argue that nutrition isn’t just what you eat — it’s what you think, say, and how you act — especially toward yourself. When I’m nicer to myself, it’s easier to make good decisions regarding my overall wellness.

I credit my yoga practice for helping me think this way. I started practicing almost out of necessity 7 years ago. I was running a lot and needed something to help me stretch and release tension from the stress of running. I was also looking for something for me – I was teaching 7 fitness classes a week at that time (mostly Zumba) and needed a class where I wasn’t the teacher.

My really awesome running friend (I miss her so terribly!) took me to my first class in DE. I still practice both barre and yoga there! I was hooked instantly. So many people have said to me “ugh, yoga – I need to move my body and sweat and cardio is the best” and I get it, I was there for the longest time, too. But yoga is so much more than a physical practice (don’t get me wrong I love the physical part of it, and the fact that yoga has made me so strong).

Here are just a few things I’ve learned from my yoga practice:

Stillness – in the vinyasa classes I take, we hold some postures for 5+ breaths. At the time, you’ll feel like maybe it’s a punishment and the teacher just hates you, but it’s purposeful. It’s teaching you to lean into the breath, to dig deeper, and find stillness. We’re so guilty of rushing everywhere and being just so darn busy that we forget to just be. Just be!

Quiet – I’ve always been more of the quiet, contemplative, observant type of person. I’m loud/talkative when I need to be — teaching, in group discussions, etc., but I’d much rather keep to myself. Yoga helped highlight this trait of mine, and encourages me to be constantly contemplative and observant of my inner voice.

Art of losing – and it really is an art. Each day that you come to the mat, you don’t know what your body will give you. I’ve ‘hit’ so many ‘flashy’ poses and then come to my mat the next day and can’t even hold a bind or a balance. It’s not failure. It’s a practice. Yoga teaches you to come at it every single day, working hard, and discovering new pieces of yourself. That’s hard for some competitive athletic types to grasp at first, I get it, but you don’t ever “win” at yoga — you just practice.

Being comfortable alone – maybe yoga didn’t teach me this, it just intensified it for me. I really crave and value my alone time. I need it to recharge, since all of my jobs are very service and people-centric. I need time to regroup, to recharge, to find the creativity hidden deep inside of me. While yoga can be practiced in a group and you find conenction with the breath, you practice alone. Each person has their own practice, even if their mats are inches away from each other. 99% of the class might stick a move, and you fall out of it. You’re alone, and that is OK. No one cares when you fall or stumble, or drop a knee, or go to child’s pose. They see the fact that you are HONORING yourself for that day, that moment, and there is mad respect for that.

No competition – similar to being an individual practice, there is no such thing as winning at yoga. You’re not in competition with anyone. You’re simply engaging in a practice to honor what you can do that day, int hat moment. You’re there to deepen your breathing practices. While it can be super awesome when you finally reach a deep twist, balance, or bind, it’s more of an appreciation of what your body can do. You don’t stop once you’ve reached that posture — you keep practicing.

Posture – this is a huge one. There are certain directions, twists, and movements that really get me feeling aligned. Everything kind of falls into place and I stand taller for the rest of the day. I’m more aware of my ribs and diaphragm and breathing. I stand more, I take more breaks. Better alignment means better breathing and overall quality of life.

Enjoying the Journey – this is a BIG one. The practice isn’t over when the class ends. For many of the classes that I teach, there’s a big finale or finish, and then a cool down that indicates that you DID it, that it’s OVER. Since taking yoga classes, I’ve learned that it’s all just part of a bigger picture, a journey. It doesn’t end the moment that you step off the mat. The lessons that you learn about yourself from class carry into your next action, and the one after that, etc. It’s great to finally ‘get’ something in class, but that’s really just the beginning. There’s so much more to learn.

Do you practice yoga? Did you know that there are many flavors of practice? I practice Vinyasa and Buti, but have appreciation for all practice types. What has yoga taught you about nutrition and overall wellness?