I recently went to a goat yoga class with a friend. The yoga instructor started the class by saying the practice was "more about the goats than the yoga" as she warned us this flow would be low key. As we practiced I could see my friend was wanting more intensity. I quietly said to her "sometimes less is more" and watched her settle into the practice a little bit.
I remember a time when I arrived at a yoga class as an out of town guest. I had read online that it was a power yoga class and I was all in! As the instructor began class, she went around to each yogi asking them what they were needing that day. It quickly became apparent that this was not the power class I thought I was in for, as each participant spoke of aches and pains and needing a low key practice.
I decided I would lay low and just enjoy the class, but the instructor called on me to introduce myself and share what I was needing! I sheepishly admitted, "Um... power?" That instructor gave me and everyone else in that class that day exactly what we asked for. I was impressed and thanked her after class. But as I look back on that younger self I now know that I may have benefited more from the gentler practice others were wanting.
My younger self was all about power and strength...FULL SPEED AHEAD AT ALL TIMES! Having four kids and working, I struggled to find time for myself and when I did it had to be intense! I believed that if I slowed down or took time to rest I couldn't get it all done and everything would fall apart. I believed my body depended on long, intense workouts... Gentle yoga sessions felt too slow and would have left me feeling frustrated like my friend at the goat yoga class. Can you relate?
This constant "productivity" along with intense workouts only serves to increase our cortisol and adrenaline, putting more stress on our bodies and minds.
I decided I would lay low and just enjoy the class, but the instructor called on me to introduce myself and share what I was needing! I sheepishly admitted, "Um... power?" That instructor gave me and everyone else in that class that day exactly what we asked for. I was impressed and thanked her after class. But as I look back on that younger self I now know that I may have benefited more from the gentler practice others were wanting.
My younger self was all about power and strength...FULL SPEED AHEAD AT ALL TIMES! Having four kids and working, I struggled to find time for myself and when I did it had to be intense! I believed that if I slowed down or took time to rest I couldn't get it all done and everything would fall apart. I believed my body depended on long, intense workouts... Gentle yoga sessions felt too slow and would have left me feeling frustrated like my friend at the goat yoga class. Can you relate?
This constant "productivity" along with intense workouts only serves to increase our cortisol and adrenaline, putting more stress on our bodies and minds.
What we do on our mat is intended to bring us into more balance. That means...
If your days are spent racing around,
you need a slower flow.
If you are like me and pride yourself on getting a lot done,
you might need less rather than more on your mat.
If you are struggling to fit in time to take care of yourself,
you need shorter rather than longer practices.
Rest assured that even 5-15 minutes could be enough to have a big impact on your stress!
One research study looked at the effect of yoga on anxiety. It found that 20 minutes had more benefits than 10 minutes, but 30 was NOT better than 20! Other research has shown that doing yoga just three times per week does the trick when it comes to reducing stress and anxiety. Newer research is showing that slow flows have a greater impact in calming the nervous system.
If you want to explore fun shorter practices join me for my livestream classes every Wednesday in October. If you miss the livestream, you can find these and other "less is more" practices in the on-demand sections of my website.
If you want to explore fun shorter practices join me for my livestream classes every Wednesday in October. If you miss the livestream, you can find these and other "less is more" practices in the on-demand sections of my website.
The Pause Method 21-day Challenge is packed full of short practices. Check it out here: