Yoga Pathways

I am resistant to many things, and I haven’t always been aware of this. I’d like to say I was blind but now I see, but all I see is… more resistance! It sounds like I’m boasting, but I’m laughing along with myself and trying to be glad that I have unearthed more defects 🤣. It’s amazing that I managed to get over myself and let yoga in, given the strength of my resistance to:

• Yoga music
• Yoga militancy & conformity
• Yoga clothes
• Chanting
• And definitely restorative yoga – lying around on cushions with nobody feeding me grapes! What was the point in that?

So, let’s start to peel back the layers of resistance using restorative yoga as my example.

The nature of resistance:

Resistance is like that stubborn knot in your shoelace – no matter how hard you tug, it just won’t budge. We resist change, discomfort, and anything else that threatens to disrupt our carefully constructed comfort zones. But what if I told you that resistance is more than just a nuisance – it’s a teacher in disguise, nudging us towards growth and self-discovery?

My resistance to restorative yoga:

As someone who once turned up their nose at the mere mention of restorative yoga, I know a thing or two about the dangers of clinging to what we “like” at the expense of what we truly need. For the longest time, I thought lying around on cushions was just an excuse to do nothing. If no one was feeding me grapes, what was the point? Little did I know, I was about to embark on a journey that would challenge my preconceived notions and force me to confront my own resistance head-on.

Yogic philosophy on resistance, desire, and aversion:

Enter yogic philosophy, stage left. In the world of yoga, resistance, desire, and aversion are old friends who love to crash the party uninvited. According to ancient wisdom, our attachment to what we desire and our aversion to what we don’t like are the root causes of suffering (cue dramatic music). But fear not, fellow yogis – there’s a way out of this endless cycle of craving and avoidance.

The paradox of preference:

Ah, the paradox of preference – where what we think we want is often the very thing that keeps us stuck in a rut. As someone who once dismissed restorative yoga as “doing nothing,” I learned the hard way that my preferences were more about comfort than growth. Turns out, what we resist the most is often exactly what we need to find balance and harmony in our lives. So, if you, like me, crave dynamic vinyasa and or a strong slow flow, chances are you should be searching that bolster immediately.

Embracing what we need:

So here’s the million-dollar question: how do we break free from the shackles of our own preferences and embrace what we truly need? The answer, my friends, lies in the practice of surrender – letting go of our attachment to the outcome and trusting that the universe has our back. Whether it’s on the mat or in our everyday lives, learning to lean into discomfort and uncertainty is the key to unlocking a whole new world of possibility.

As I reflect on my own journey from resistance to acceptance, I’m reminded of the words of the great sage Patanjali: “Sthira sukham asanam” – yoga is the state of being steady and comfortable in any situation. So let’s take a page out of Patanjali’s playbook and learn to dance with resistance, embracing the ebb and flow of life with open hearts and open minds. Here’s to trying new things, embracing discomfort, and laughing in the face of resistance. Because who knows? Maybe the thing we’ve been resisting all along is exactly what we need to find a little peace and tranquillity in this crazy world

reflection question:

What is something you find yourself resisting in your life right now? How might embracing it lead to unexpected growth or balance?