Very stress these days, bad yoga experience!

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#21

Hi Mey,

Something resonated with me when I read your post. You have received many excellent suggestions and perhaps something will click with you.

Hang in there. I wanted to share this with you. I often don’t feel like going to yoga for a number of reasons. Some like yours… mental clutter.

I have a fairly stressful job that I cannot (chose not) to leave. Yoga is my cure and will save my life, but it also has brought me conflict, since embracing the practice has challenged many of my lifestyles, habits and enjoyments. I also have a husband who met me pre-yoga and that is another backdrop for learning to find harmony.

This isn’t a bad phase, maybe it’s a time of growth, a crossroads of sorts. Happily, there isn’t any time constraint in getting to the next place as long as you are patient with yourself and understand it your own personal evolution.

Don’t know if that is a hit or miss, but I am hopeful you will understand your feelings as being part of the process in becoming who you are ultimately destine to become, regardless of who that is or how long it takes.

Peace!

#22

I feel that we all ( humans) search for a great wonderment of life, that is why there are so many ways to reach “god” or creator, universal being. I would suggest to use yoga as a method to relax, ( many times I have laid in corpse pose for 20min and that has been my practice for the day). Now of course I say that to make the statement that there is no competition in yoga, there is breath, and as long as you are breathing with the intent to live, then you are practicing yoga.
It sounds that your main search is not yoga but perhaps weather you are fulling your contract here on this earthly plain? Much sadness and depression can surface if you as a soul are lost in your direction of your overall journey. Each of us, (of course depending on spiritual background) has a journey, lessons to be learnt. Some of us have chosen to have different experiences some sad, some happy, but nonetheless, if you are unhappy you need to listen to your heart. Ask spirit to help place you where you need to be, not necessarly where you want to be. I have great belief that you will find your path, Because you are so deeply loved by spirit and you will find the courage to keep learning about your experience in this lifetime.

#23

[QUOTE=deepak_nath;22096]MeY,

Just do shavasana. lying down without any movement.

Deepak[/QUOTE]
I have mastered that one
:wink:

#24

[QUOTE=justwannabe;22164]I have mastered that one
;)[/QUOTE]

Yeap, it is a natural position for me too.

#25

[quote=justwannabe;22164]I have mastered that one
;)[/quote]

And is the mind also without any movement? Easy to still the body, but I sometimes still struggle with my “drunk monkey in the thornbush” as Swami Venkatesananda used to describe the mind during corpse pose.

#26

That’s a good one, Pandara ; my drunk monkey is so happy drunk in savasana the thorns are dancing partners.

#27

Mey, I didn’t mean to get off track here- the point is that savasana is a lot more effective for you than most people realize-even people like me who really enjoy it. Make sure that you do it and do it until you sink deep enough so that your body is totally relaxed, floating in the void of space and time yet your mind is alert and like Pandara said, ultimately, you want your drunk monkey mind to relax too. Om Peace

#28

[QUOTE=TonyTamer;22230]Mey, I didn’t mean to get off track here- the point is that savasana is a lot more effective for you than most people realize-even people like me who really enjoy it. Make sure that you do it and do it until you sink deep enough so that your body is totally relaxed, floating in the void of space and time yet your mind is alert and like Pandara said, ultimately, you want your drunk monkey mind to relax too. Om Peace[/QUOTE]

Why not yoga nidra ? It is more complete than savasana.

#29

i am sure alot of us recognise some of the feelings you have shared here. I too have a very stressful job (where i am dealing with death and suffering of non humans.) It is harrowing and affects my life in such a negative way i have really had to question whether i can continue like this. Its so important for me to do charity work but when i am left a bundle of (pitta-vata too!!)nerves and it increases my own suffering so intensely i really need to assess if i can carry on…

Likewise i think you need to really sit back and assess your life and make some serious decisions.ofcourse there are are pros and cons to all of the aspects of our lives, but to reach such a fever pitch of stress where you have suicidal thoughts is a marker of a time for inner reflection and maybe a radical change of direction.

i have come from a background of drug and alcohol abuse and bulimia in the not so distant past. The transition is hard, esp when one is surrounded by people still heavily involved in that lifestyle. However, WE have to really start to value ourselves and see our own suffering and do whatever it takes to help ourselves. none of that means you have to become a yogi. it means you need to start to respect yourself and see what is hurting and stressing you each day. Maybe you need to re-discover the dreams you had as a young entrepreneur.

powerful as i belive yoga to be if we are so far down the road of self destruction it cant bring us back alone, without adressing root causes too. I think it could be good to find a very structured and supportive class where relaxation is taught step by step, such as Sivananda style, to support any lifetsyle changes you may choose to take. I agree with some of the other comments that maybe you have too high expectations of yoga alone. I should think that potentially in 5 years of practice you would have come along way in controling your mind and emotions… and as this is not the case maybe you should look for another teacher, practice more and make those much needed lifestyle changes, primarily the job!!!OM

#30

Very nice post , comprehensively thought out. It is good to remember that yoga has 8 limbs and asana is just the third. Extension of the yamas and niyamas would make many people change lifestyle and jobs I expect. Thank you for the post. Namaste