The soundtrack of Pitch Perfect was blasting from the speakers. I was singing along to the parts we knew well, feeling relieved that the littlest boy didn’t complain about my choice this time. The occasional chit-chat with the sister-in-law whilst the boys munched their second round of snacks made for a pleasant drive. The car was fed, too, so all was well.
Until that moment.
The lorry driver obviously had enough of my gentle driving and must have been trying to overtake us for a while without me noticing.
It appeared out of nowhere—a giant white metal presence next to my window so close that, for a moment, the grownup passengers were sure this was it.
And yet, calmly and with composure, I managed to manoeuvre the car to safety, whilst the little ones in the backseat didn’t even lose a crumb from their favourite biscuits.
This was two years ago. I was a full-time yogi. I had trained for years at the highest level and taught a loyal community of yogis multiple times a week.
What I didn’t know at the time was that my promise to teach and support those students kept me accountable for my own practice. I wasn’t just training and intentionally preparing the curriculum; I also enjoyed a dedicated daily practice of movement, breathwork, and meditation.
It was all part of the package.
So, when my sister-in-law, with a shaken awe on her face, asked, “How?” my answer was simple: “Yoga.”
Yoga is one of my favourite wellbeing modalities that help with emotional regulation.
Most people first come to yoga for the physical benefits - getting strong and healthy. They then stay because of the way it makes them feel.
During a typical yoga practice, you’ll be instructed to notice your breath and move your body in relation to it. (E.g. breathe in, lift your arms up, breathe out, fold forward).
Your teacher might also ask you to notice your body’s sensations at that moment—how does your hamstring feel in this position? Do you need to adjust it?
And then something else happens. You start being aware not only of your physical sensations but also of various things that are somewhat uncomfortable and best kept for outside your yoga studio; thank you very much.
Feelings like boredom ("this is too repetitive"), annoyance or frustration ("this pose felt so much easier last week, why not today?”), but also pride (“Yes! I finally nailed it!”).
And guess what? It’s totally OK to have these thoughts and emotions during your seemingly “blissful” yoga practice.
During a yoga class, we get the opportunity to attune to our physical sensations as well as our mental and emotional states. And this overlap of the physical, mental and emotional qualities is what makes yoga different from other physical practices.
In a somatic practice like this, you are encouraged to be aware of all of your sensations without judgment. You are a body, but you are also thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and you get to welcome the whole package exactly as it is.
Focusing on what you are doing in the moment (your breath, your movement), being aware of all of your sensations (body parts, thoughts, feelings, emotions), and acknowledging them without judgment is, at its core, a practice of self-regulation.
Emotional regulation is the first step to reconnecting with your core self. I had to drop a whole life in the UK and uproot our little family to the tropics of Thailand to begin my journey of self-discovery.
But that’s another story for another day.
Love,
Thanks so much Alycia, I’m so glad you found it useful 🩷 It’s really hard to keep a yoga practice on our own, but when we do… oh my 🩷
I’m hoping to share some practices in this container; it’s easier to keep it up with company 🙏🏻
thank you for this post, I haven't done much yoga. But the little I have done has helped me refocus and be in the moment. I subscribe, I really like the atmosphere.