Yoga Teaches Us To Be Uncomfortable

The practice of yoga has many benefits from increased strength and flexibility to reducing stress and improving sleep. There are thousands of articles and books detailing the many benefits and lessons of the practice, but one lesson has impacted my life the most. Yoga teaches us how to be uncomfortable and be ok.

At its core, uncomfortable situations, sensations, thoughts, make us feel out of control, anxious, and stressed. We do all kinds of things to avoid the discomfort. From simple acts of escaping into the Instagram vortex, pouring that extra glass of wine to avoiding having that tough conversation with someone whose words or actions may have hurt us.

But as hard as we try to make ourselves more comfortable, we will continue to find ourselves in uncomfortable situations. These situations require a lot of effort to navigate. And...what if we fail? Our bodies grow tense, our heads hurt, our bellies revolt. All this discomfort goes against our desire for calm and peace.

Yoga, the union of our bodies and minds, can help teach us how to be uncomfortable and be ok. The physical practice of yoga teaches us how to sit with discomfort. Most of us feel amazing, lighter, even energized after a yoga practice. However, the work we put into our practice doesn’t always come easy or feel comfortable. Most poses have some level of discomfort associated with them-maybe a tight hamstring speaks, the burning sensation in the glutes, the shaking that comes with holding that balance pose. Sometimes, we even feel tense and frustrated in our practice. We use our breath, our perseverance, our concentration on the task at hand to stay with it.

Each time we come to our mats, we bring ourselves to an edge of discomfort-sometimes that manifests physically, sometimes mentally or emotionally. The practice teaches us to look for the balance, the stillness, the calm. We learn that while we may be uncomfortable, we are in control. We can control our breath, our movements, our thoughts. This work on the mat helps us navigate life and its discomfort off the mat and realize we are OK.

So the next time you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, remember to breathe, give yourself some time and space to adjust, to set your state of mind, and persevere. You’ve got this!