"It is health that is the real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver."
Mahatma Gandhi
After trying and failing to adopt yoga into my life over many years, I (Joanna) have just reached my one-year anniversary of a regular yoga practice.
I've been going to a yoga school three times a week, and although I started out in the gentle (remedial) class, I now go to the more active classes. My back pain has almost completely disappeared, my functional movement has improved, and it is my sanctuary for mental headspace to breathe and meditate. It's become an integral part of my life, and I've turned into a yoga evangelist!
Here's what I've learned about yoga and how it relates to writing.
No judgment. No comparisons.
As I mentioned in Chapter 1.3, I don't look like an Instagram yogi with perfect muscle tone and incredible posture. I have curves and hips and bumps, and I struggle with body image like pretty much everyone else. But yoga has taught me a lot about accepting and even loving my body, as well as honoring it through the practice.
Just as there are different writing styles, different yoga poses suit different people. There are as many stories in the world as there are physical bodies. So if you can't touch your heels to the floor in downward dog, it's not a problem. If you struggle to sit cross-legged, no worries, use a block or two.
There is no point in comparing myself to someone who has been doing yoga for 20 years, whose body type is completely different to mine, who has practiced those poses for thousands of hours.
In the same way, there's no point comparing myself to Stephen King, who has been writing for nearly 50 years and written millions of words. I can only be who I am and improve over time as I write more and practice more.
Yoga is a practice like writing is a practice
You don't start off doing a headstand on day one of yoga like you can't decide to 'be an author' and dash off a bestselling manuscript in week one. These things take time and preparation and learning and practice. You don't go from zero to amazing in one fell swoop.
The practices of yoga and writing can both sustain you for the rest of your life. I see myself writing until I die, like the late P.D.James, who was still working on a manuscript when she died at age 94. Yoga is designed as a physical practice of longevity, and in India, you see old people doing it every morning as we would drink our morning coffee. I'm determined to be a wrinkled old writing yogi!
Know thyself
Yoga is a physical practice, but it's also about observation of your body, your breath, and your thoughts.
Realizing where and why you hold pain in certain parts of your body at different times can make you more mindful of what you need to look after and help you get some perspective.
Taking time to breathe helps just about everything
Every yoga class ends with savasana, where you lie on your back, eyes closed, as you breathe and connect with the ground beneath you. If the practice has been tough, that time is well-earned relaxation, and if you're stressed and manic, that time is much-needed meditation. Sometimes the time drags on, sometimes it flies by, and you want to stay there on the mat, a haven from the world.
When I first started, I was agitated by this part of the class. I wanted to get on with my To Do list. I'd done my exercise, now I needed to get back to work. Lying around was a waste of time.
If you know what I mean, then you need this too!
Savasana gives me time where I do nothing but breathe. It's helped me realize that breathing is something I've struggled with. When I write, I often hold my breath or shallow breathe into my chest. Through yoga, I'm learning different forms of breathing and ways to connect my mind to my body.
If you want to give yoga a try, here are some practical tips.
Find a dedicated yoga school
I failed before because I went to classes at gyms where the yoga class was just an add-on and the teachers did multiple other classes. If you go to a specific yoga school, they will offer many different yoga classes, so you can find the right one for you, depending on your level of pain and movement.
If you are concerned about expense, because yoga classes are not usually cheap, then weigh up the prevention now versus the potential medical costs later. Or check out some videos on YouTube or Instagram.
Find a teacher you resonate with
There are many different kinds of yoga teacher, from the uber-spiritual, chanting headstand guru to the anatomy expert with a sense of humor yogi. They will do different classes and it's worth trying a few to find someone you resonate with.
Give it a month or two, especially if you feel like giving up
I was so angry the first few months doing regular classes. I couldn't even sit cross-legged, and downward dog hurt my wrists. The practice hurt me more than it seemed to help initially and I felt inadequate next to some of the Instagram-ready yoga-babes.
But once I settled into the classes and got used to the movements, I learned how to relax more and breathe and started to enjoy it.
Within a few months, my pain lessened and then disappeared. It has been life-changing and soul-sustaining for me in the same way as developing a writing practice.
Happy yoga writing if you're ready to try it!