Yoga Pathways

Before yoga (By) Vs. After yoga (AY): How yoga changed my emotional reactions

Introduction

I’ve changed.

Before yoga (BY)

Before Yoga, I would have lost my temper, shouted, sworn, ranted, raved and slammed the phone down. I would also have been adamant that I was totally justified. It’s still the scenario that I ran in my head for a split second (enough to give me momentary satisfaction), but it was not the scenario I played out.

I have choices.

The stressful morning

This is the story of my morning. A morning we’ve all had. Probably a little too regularly.

I had a couple of tasks, the kind that I am temperamentally unsuited to. Tasks that require what feel to me like inhuman levels of patience. To you this might just seem like everyday life, a trifling piffle of mundanity – these things upset my equilibrium.

We’re going on holiday 🧳✈️⛱️, and it occurred to me that we might need vaccinations 💉. I called the surgery to try to organise them.

1. ☎️ I spent 2.5 hours before being able to make the queue; it was full.
2. ☎️ I managed to get into the queue; I was 8th.
3. ☎️ I waited for 40 minutes.
4. ☎️The music was jarring, dishonest announcements were intermittently repeated as further torture. I rewrote the lying message in my head: ‘We are permanently busy and are in no rush to take your calls. If you think you are dying, call 999.’

And finally, the receptionist answered. 🙌 💁

She asked me when we were going on holiday. I told her.

She said, ‘Well, that’s not 4 weeks away.’ And I said, I know.

She said, ‘Well, it has to be 4 weeks away.’

I started to apologise, and this is before I realised I hadn’t even told her what vaccinations we needed. (you only need 2 weeks for tetanus, the holiday is 3 weeks, 6 days away)

I detected glee in her tone

She was the powerful gatekeeper between me and what I needed. No NHS vaccinations were coming my way. She would have make sure of that.

I detected glee in in her tone when she told me that ‘now’ her emphasis I would have to go private.

I detected glee in her tone that we would need a consultation for each member of the family (£15 per consultation) and then a cost for each vaccination. 🤔 🤷‍♀️ 🗑️

She couldn’t get me off the phone quick enough

She couldn’t have been less helpful, caring, or sympathetic if she tried.

And she couldn’t have been more judgmental.

After yoga (AF)

As you can see, I’m still not very pleased about it. What I am pleased about is that it made me realise that I have changed. That a leopard can change its spots. 🐆

I’m putting it down to Yoga. Thanks to my yoga practice, I’m developing a greater sense of self-awareness. This means I’ve learned to notice my emotional reactions to people and situations before they spiral out of control. Instead of letting my frustration dictate my actions, I took a deep breath and chose a different path.

It’s sometimes easier to see how we change physically through the practice of yoga. It’s more obvious—you can do a crow pose or you can’t. Mapping emotional, mental, and behavioural changes is harder; it’s more subtle. But these changes are there, shaping how we respond to life’s challenges.

I reminded myself that the receptionist’s behaviour was beyond my control, but my reaction was entirely within my control. I practiced a moment of mindfulness, took a few calming breaths, and approached the situation with a sense of detachment and peace.

Remaining calm and polite, even though the receptionist’s tone was anything but friendly, I thanked her for the information and ended the call without further ado. I accepted that the situation was what it was and that I needed to find an alternative solution.

This approach didn’t magically make the situation better, but it did prevent it from getting worse. More importantly, it allowed me to maintain my peace of mind. Yoga has taught me that while I cannot control the actions of others, I can control my reactions. It’s a powerful lesson that has transformed not only how I handle stressful situations which is just as well. If I hadn’t done something I’d probably have had a heart attack by now.

In the end, it’s not about the receptionist or the vaccinations. It’s about how I choose to respond to life’s little tests. And for that, I am grateful to my yoga practice.

conclusion

So, yes, I’ve changed. Yoga has given me the tools to face life’s challenges with grace and equanimity. It’s a journey, and I’m still learning, but every day I get a little better at choosing peace over conflict, calm over chaos.

In the end, it’s not about the receptionist or the vaccinations. It’s about how I choose to respond to life’s little tests. And for that, I am grateful to my yoga practice.

P.S. I still want to torch her car. I haven’t completely changed. 🤣 🤣 🤣

Call to Action

Have you noticed any changes in yourself since practicing yoga? Emotional? Mental? Spiritual or Physical? Share your experiences in the comments below!