Yoga Is An Exercise In Patience

Most of the time when you workout the pace is much faster than in yoga. Cardio is all about moving quickly to get your heart rate up. Strength training is a little calmer than cardio but there's still a sense of perpetual movement. This is true when you work out on your own and even more so when working out to a video or take a class. So, it's no surprise that when you go to do yoga, you have the impulse to move at your usual workout pace.

However, yoga does not work that way. Even when you are moving in yoga the pace is still relatively slow. A lot of the time is actually spent not moving at all. Your muscles are working unexpectedly hard to hold each pose. Being impatient, wondering when it's going to end, and how much longer you have to stay still, does not help. In fact, it makes it much harder.

I knew intellectually that I was supposed to feel centered and calm doing yoga but, I never felt it. I was never able to actually do it. There was always an undercurrent of nervous energy and racing thoughts. The thing I finally realized the last time I did yoga was that I needed to be patient. Being patient in yoga means letting go the need to rush and get it done. It means understanding that what you're doing is going to take some time and you might as well relax and let it run it's course. It means not worrying about what you're going to do next and just paying attention to what you're doing in that moment.

Maybe that's easier said than done, but there are a few steps you can take to help you accomplish this. First of all make sure to set aside enough time for your workout. Before you begin the yoga session, take a few deep breaths. Focus on your breathing and imagine with each exhale that you're letting go of whatever thoughts are nagging at you. Set your intention to be relaxed, calm and present during your yoga session. Then, while you're doing yoga, be patient with yourself when your mind starts wandering and you find yourself stressing over everything you're not doing at the moment that needs to get done. Just gently push the thoughts aside and focus on breathing through each yoga pose. It will take some time to get good at this. So, don't worry if it seems difficult at first.

The practice of yoga has a lot of benefits and can be a good addition to your fitness program. Learning to exercise patience with the process of doing yoga and with yourself will make it a much more enjoyable experience and you will get a lot more out of it. Eventually, you might even find that instead of dreading your yoga workout, you actually start looking forward to it.

Laura Lawson is a certified personal trainer dedicated to helping people live better through fitness. Visit besteverfitness.com besteverfitness.com where you'll find the tools and information that will help you reach your fitness goals.