Yoga Won't Solve All Your Problems
Every now and then, I hear people saying something along the lines of: "I feel really stressed and out of balance, I need a good yoga class." While it's true that we usually feel better after our practice, we must be careful not to view yoga classes as merely a means to an end. Thinking that the more yoga we do, the happier, younger, and prettier we'll become can be misleading. (Though I don't deny there's a grain of truth in it.)
However, if we believe yoga is the almighty problem solver, it becomes like a drug. I have a friend who always said drugs are like a little cushion between you and reality—they soften the blow, making everything less intense. But, of course, reality is still there once the drug's effect wears off.
The same happens if we use yoga solely to make us feel good. While it does help improve our mood after practice, if we don't integrate what we learn on the mat into our daily lives, nothing will truly change. We'll find ourselves returning to the yoga studio again and again, only for short-term relief.
Yoga won't make the bad things go away, but with sufficient practice, it might allow us to view our challenges from a more detached perspective. We might realize that nothing is permanent (the good and the bad) and that nothing is personal.
Yoga won't ensure that you'll always feel good, but it can equip you with tools to cope when life gets chaotic and difficult. Embrace your practice not just as an escape, but as a way to cultivate resilience and inner peace.
