yoga (and the concept of acceptance) (and pain)
What did change in my life since I've been around here? One of them is that I've taken up yoga. I mainly do a home practice with guidance from youtube teachers. One of my favourites is Adriene (who has a channel named 'yoga with Adriene). Her slogan is "find what feels good" and "curiosity is an act of self-love" (she means curiosity about what feels good but I like it in general).
I've tried yoga classes at the gym (perfectly nice and good classes) and even though there was not really the pressure to have your body do exactly what the teacher's body did (actually, the teacher said again and again that you had you find your personal edge and don't pass it, but hoover over it) I find it difficult how little my body sometimes can do without pain (it can do quite a lot with pain). Where is my edge? In the pain-free zone, or "in the this is with just the background pain and not the sharp pain"?
It goes slightly easier to focus on myself in home practice (also, I can choose what video I am going to do and so adjust to my level of fitness for the moment - since it varies a lot).
BTW the pain is supposedly all a result from too much muscle tension due to psychological stuff, no "real physical cause" and doctors and physiotherapist advise to exercise within my limits, don't ignore pain but don't let it stop me and focus on gaining strength and overall fitness.
I struggle with this balance a lot, generally I have times when my mood goes up, I exercise a lot, and *causality problem* my mood goes down, my pain increases , I can do less exercise.
Yesterday I did a video of Adriene called "acceptance" (she is doing a series of daily videos for January with explicit themes, to pay attention to mental well-being as well a physical). I have a lot of problems with this whole concept of acceptance. Does it mean it hurts when I do certain things (yes, to a certain extent) but what does it mean, just doing it, being at peace with it, not minding the pain? Not label it as pain, just as a sensation?
Is it like walking in the rain? I accept rain, but I do try to avoid it, I do wear a raincoat. Is that a useful analogy?
(BTW acceptance seems to be a favourite word of therapists nowadays. Accept, accept accept. Grrrr, I liked compassion better (my last therapist fav word)
I've tried yoga classes at the gym (perfectly nice and good classes) and even though there was not really the pressure to have your body do exactly what the teacher's body did (actually, the teacher said again and again that you had you find your personal edge and don't pass it, but hoover over it) I find it difficult how little my body sometimes can do without pain (it can do quite a lot with pain). Where is my edge? In the pain-free zone, or "in the this is with just the background pain and not the sharp pain"?
It goes slightly easier to focus on myself in home practice (also, I can choose what video I am going to do and so adjust to my level of fitness for the moment - since it varies a lot).
BTW the pain is supposedly all a result from too much muscle tension due to psychological stuff, no "real physical cause" and doctors and physiotherapist advise to exercise within my limits, don't ignore pain but don't let it stop me and focus on gaining strength and overall fitness.
I struggle with this balance a lot, generally I have times when my mood goes up, I exercise a lot, and *causality problem* my mood goes down, my pain increases , I can do less exercise.
Yesterday I did a video of Adriene called "acceptance" (she is doing a series of daily videos for January with explicit themes, to pay attention to mental well-being as well a physical). I have a lot of problems with this whole concept of acceptance. Does it mean it hurts when I do certain things (yes, to a certain extent) but what does it mean, just doing it, being at peace with it, not minding the pain? Not label it as pain, just as a sensation?
Is it like walking in the rain? I accept rain, but I do try to avoid it, I do wear a raincoat. Is that a useful analogy?
(BTW acceptance seems to be a favourite word of therapists nowadays. Accept, accept accept. Grrrr, I liked compassion better (my last therapist fav word)