Spooky Yoga Scary Change

So what am I afraid of?

Change.

That’s it. That’s all.

Maybe the muscle spasm will go away if I don’t do anything.

The absence of pain is still change.

BUT!

What if I actually heal my leg? Oh-oh. Deep down, in my subconscious, do I really want this to happen?

I hadn’t thought about that. What if I succeed? What will happen then? And lastly, am I truly ready to do this?

Change is going to happen over time with or without my participation.

Won’t it be better if I’m in the driver’s seat? Yes. I can set boundaries and manage the process that way.

I begin to explore yoga therapy.

According to Wikipedia, yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice that aims to transform the body and mind.

The mental and spiritual practice of yoga is meditation, nothing more. What’s exciting is that scientists are getting close to demystifying how yoga and meditation work in stress and disease management. For example, some latest scientific work has shown how mind-body techniques can switch on and off genes linked to stress and immune function. (1)

I’m not an expert or a scientist; nonetheless, here’s how I rationalized it for myself:

My body is a community of atoms vibrating at different energy levels forming an electromagnetic field, much like the glow from Northern Lights in the evening sky. So what is healing? What is change? It’s all about moving energy.

Yoga stretches and breathing exercises are designed to push energy through my body in specific ways to slowly loosen choke points. Yoga balance and lying still (meditative) practices are stabilizers, helping focus the mind on the present and calm down, allowing the energy to balance and flow smoothly.

Have you ever noticed that all healing works subtly; we never consciously notice it happening, just the results. Think about a pain pill – it’s made of vibrating molecules that change some energy in your body so you no longer feel the pain. Yoga works just as discreetly.

I’m grateful to Jo Ferguson who loves to teach and is patient as I flounder with my poses. What I know for sure is that gradually my mobility and thoughts have changed – all for the better.

(1) Harvard Yoga Scientists Find Proof of Meditation Benefits