How to Recharge Your Yoga when it’s lost it’s Juice
You start your yoga journey… and, if you’re like a lot of people, you FALL IN LOVE. There’s something so exciting, uplifting, energizing and challenging about yoga that you’re hooked. You’ve found your thing.
If you’re lucky you find teachers that resonate, a schedule that works, and the drive to keep showing up. Yoga becomes a meaningful part of your life.
At some point though, the honeymoon ends. You’re still committed to yoga, but it’s not as exciting as it was before. You’ve heard your teachers’ cues and stories a hundred times. Your routine is so solid that it almost feels monotonous. And the driving energy that fueled you to show up week after week has mellowed out. It’s still your thing, but the liveliness isn’t in it anymore.
Lost Passion = Lost Yoga?
After almost 24 years of yoga I can tell you that this is a critical point for your practice. It’s a point that you will hit again and again. A lifetime of yoga has ebbs and flows. That’s not a problem. But it can turn into one if you don’t pay attention.
When you hit the low energy point you might be tempted to look for the next big thing. “Yoga doesn’t work anymore”, you think. “It’s not giving me that high like it used to.” Now you’re off to join Crossfit and in a few months it’ll be Ecstatic Dance. I’m not hating on either of those disciplines. Please complement your yoga practice with whatever makes your heart sing.
But when you jump around from modality to modality you’re missing out on a key lesson from yoga.
Yoga and Consistency
The lesson is about how to be in long term relationships. Deciding to stick with yoga even when its shine is gone teaches you a lot about creating relationships that last. By committing to your yoga practice you learn to show up regularly- no matter what you feel, no matter how excited you are, and no matter how passionate you are about it. Unlike when you show up for your relationships, yoga has no expectations of you. You get to just be yourself. I can’t tell you how important being able to show up consistently has been for my marriage, parenthood, being a daughter. Heck, it even helps for being a pet parent and for having a meaningful relationship with myself.
While staying power is deeply important, here’s something that’s even cooler. As you consistently show up, yoga will teach you how to reignite sparks of passion that you thought had gone out. Imagine how having renewed energy could transform your relationships, your creativity, or your activism. It could change everything.
So what do you do? If you’re not gonna go searching for the next shiny thing, how do you rekindle your excitement for yoga? You do it by turning on your learning mind.
Stoke Curiosity
In Nature Based Coach Training (NBCT) they taught that our brains learn best under one of two conditions:
1. When they have a lot of adrenaline (think: I’m being chased by a tiger)
2. When they have a lot of curiosity (think: Oh.. how can find out more?).
I don’t recommend setting tigers loose in the studio.
But to stoke your curiosity: Ask QUESTIONS.
The Power of Questions
The minute you start asking questions, your brain gets more interested. It lights up your body, and gives you renewed energy for yoga. Your questions take you from being passive to being engaged with your yoga. You have more ownership of your practice and that empowers you to take it anywhere you want it to go.
Also, in your hunt for answers you find new-to-you insights. They may or may not be related to your first question, but they take you in unexpected directions. You might start with a technical question about Warrior One pose but end up down a rabbit hole of esoteric yoga mythology. Sometimes, when I’m really learning a lot, I feel like an entire new wing of my mind opens up. I’m amazed at how wide open I get. It feels like my mind is literally blown!
Your questions don’t just take you deeper, though. They move the entire community forward. As you seek answers, others get inspired to make their own explorations. Sharing what you learn ensures that the community holds the wisdom. Now, nothing’s centralized in one single person, but everyone has access to knowledge. With knowledge the community as a whole is better at meeting challenges. And it’s lively!
Confession… I’m terrible at questions. They don’t come naturally. So I’ve had to teach myself to be more curious. Here’s an exercise from my NBCT that helped.
Try This
Set aside a few minutes with a notebook
Think about your last yoga practice. What was something that was hard for you? Maybe it was a pose, maybe you didn’t understand the cue, maybe you didn’t “get” the philosophy.
Get curious and write down a few questions about it.
Now write down a few more
Write down more… until you get to 100 questions!
Read back over your list - is there anything that seems interesting?
Now go on an expedition to see what you can find out about that question.
I know this exercise sounds ridiculous, but that’s the point. Somewhere between 1 and 100 your brain will get silly. It’ll start throwing a bunch of random, ridiculous, entertaining thoughts out as questions. That’s what you want. That’s when your mind has gone from “I’m doing an exercise” to “I’m curious, playful, and creative”. Now there’s energy. If you follow it, it’ll charge you up.
Dr Douglas Brooks often teaches to “Ask every question” Please do! No question is too small, too uninformed, too simple, too basic. No question is too big, too well-researched, too complex, too refined. All questions are welcome. The more you ask, the more useful they become. And the deeper they can take you. Don’t stop, keep deepening your understanding, and your curiosity!
You may never get to a complete answer. That’s ok. The point is the asking. Simply asking the questions keep your curiosity stoked and insights flowing. Those insights enliven your practice. Your curiosity renews you years to come. (your relationships too). And now you’ve got yoga as a true companion for life.
Go ask some questions!
NOTE: As a teacher I welcome questions at anytime, including in the middle of class. Some teachers would rather questions come before or after - check with yours. But, remember, your teacher isn’t the only resource for your exploration
Wanna join a circle where asking and exploring are celebrated?
Check out the Yoga Immersion I’ll be offering in here in Richmond, VA with Niki Schemmel. It’s coming September 10 - 14. All are welcome - and all questions are welcome!