I can't remember where I came across this story, but it has really stuck with me as it illustrates one of the key benefits of yoga practice.
A man has been working with a counsellor to overcome his depression. The counsellor encourages him to take a week on retreat, practising yoga and meditation, and says it will help him feel better. The man goes off on the retreat. When he returns, he says to the counsellor, "You were totally wrong. Now, I feel really sad that my Dad has died, I feel guilty about how I treated my wife and kids, I feel angry with my boss and I feel worried about the state of the world." The counsellor replies, "So, now you are feeling. Better."
Years ago, I was learning the ashtanga second series, which includes a lot of backbends that physically open up the heart area. My teacher, Ade Belcham, said that was common for people to experience "yoga rage" as they work with this sequence. That wasn't my experience, but I did find myself opening up to a lot of sadness - I would watch the news and cry over sad stories. I also processed a lot of grief over my father's recent death.
We might think - why do I want to experience all these negative emotions? Surely it's better not to feel them?
We often go to great lengths to avoid these difficult emotions, whether by going running, throwing ourselves into work, drinking alcohol, getting on our phones, putting in cheerful music or watching TV.
But these difficult emotions don't go away. They are still there, stored in the body and below the level of consciousness. If we avoid our difficult emotions, we might feel numb, disconnected and depressed, but we aren't sure why. Or we might feel fearful and have a generalised anxiety, without really knowing why.
The gift of yoga is that it helps us release patterns of tension used to suppress difficult emotions. As we move and stretch, we become more able to mindfully observe our emotions without feeling overwhelmed. This allows us to surface difficult emotions in a manageable way, as we feel ready. In yoga terms, we are releasing energy blockages, leading to a greater ease with ourselves and less fear of our emotions, and a general sense of freedom and positive energy.
Comentários