Leave your yoga for a few weeks and see what happens

Yup, I said that.  Stop doing yoga.  What?  Are you kidding me?  No, I am not kidding.  You just may realize a thing or two.  That's what I did and now I'm gonna share what I learned.

I pretty much stopped all yoga fo rtwo weeks.  And started walking.  Immediately I started feeling tight.  

I had way more pain in the body.   Like everywhere, but especially my back and neck.  I have some disc issues, and this is where my pain is.  But it is at such a lower level when I do yoga everyday.  Or every other day.

Then there's my knee pain.  That sucks, in case you wondered about knee pain.  It sucks.  Not as much suckage as back and neck pain, but it totally bites.  

A few years ago I started doing yoga more aggressively.  Like I wanted more strength.  Handstands, Hot Power Vinyasa (hate it, fyi) and such.  Nothing wrong with that.  But I forgot why I did yoga to begin with.  Now I remember.

And that is: I do yoga for the pain management.  Plain and simple.  I was finally getting the pain under control.  And so I got a little cocky.  I wanted more.  I did get stronger and that's great.  But again, I lost focus.  Began getting more injuries.  Shoulder pain,  hip pain.  Different low back pain.  Ain't life grand.

So when I quit yoga for a few weeks last month, it hit me hard (the pain that is) I finally remembered why  I did yoga to begin with.  To ease the pain in the body.  Which also hushed my crazy a bit.  Chronic pain will drive you bonkers.  No lie.

As I write this I feel better.  Hitting the yoga everyday, at my own pace doing my own thing, and the pain is leaving my body.  This is good.  And I've learned another life lesson.  

Be kind to your body.  And don't quit the things you love, unless it's to learn a lesson as to why you love them in the first place.




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