The Jedi Did Yoga and So Should You.
I have always been involved in sport. I’m tuned that way and, when people think about sporty or athletic people, they tend to think of something like hockey, football, soccer, or something along those lines. Think about what these traditional sports have in common: they’re intense; they require higher levels of ability; they typically have participants at high heart rates and go-go-go.
If you saw our Instagram post (and I’m hoping that you liked it and followed us--, shameless, I know) I added three super important things that are essentially the opposite of how I’m (traditionally) tuned.
Sit. Breathe. Enjoy the moment.
Those three words have no real place on the soccer field, in the corners of the rink or in the red zone. But they play a massive part in the success of any athlete, in my opinion. And I challenge you to say otherwise. This all ties into a four-letter word that most of the people that I workout with despise. They hate it. A lot. Like you wouldn’t believe.
Y-O-G-A, baby. Apart from running away from dinosaurs this might be the oldest form of exercise and there’s also a great chance that I made that fact up. Not to worry, it’s not really important. But yoga is. It’s possibly the most important part of your health and fitness and the key to living a better life. So if you don’t do yoga now-- go and do yoga, now.
We can start this with a simple truth about yoga and why, in the ‘western’ world that we live in, it is not so widely accepted. Yoga forces you to be in the moment, which is uncomfortable (on multiple levels) and deal with it in a way that you’re not used to dealing. Let’s unpack this idea before we start on the multi-faceted (saw this word on a juice box and owned it) exercise that is yoga.
Living in the moment; living in the now; no regrats/regurts. Yoga makes you block out the rest of life and be exactly where you are. Focus in the gym, whether you’re clangin’ and bangin’, doing a cardio session or enjoying the zen-like marvel that is yoga, is paramount. Yoga teaches you that focusing on the moment is more than just paying attention to what you’re doing. You have to be there. Buy into the mambo-jumbo that yoga preaches, even if it’s just once. Be there, be purposeful.
Yoga is uncomfortable because it’s difficult, physically. But beyond the physical discomfort that can come with chair-pose, there is a mental struggle that most regular people will face. You have to be quiet and focused and you have to deal with yourself. Your thoughts are the only thing in the room and that scares a lot of people. Being able to quiet your own thoughts and your own mind is a massive challenge. Think about all the things that you do in the day and now, just… don’t. Yoga gives you a chance to be alone with yourself. If that concerns you on any level, yoga is for you.
Put yourself in a warrior-2 pose and stay there for a hot minute. Your legs start to burn; your balance starts to wobble; your arms start swimming around, and; you just want to fall over. How do you deal with this? Unlike grunting your way through the last two reps of your bench press or your super macho barbell curls, yoga provides you with an alternative approach. Something more focused and, if I may, gentle.
Just f*&^ing breathe, baby.
And that, my fine feathered friend, is what breaks many-a-person. There is a challenge to yoga to stay calm, and breathe through the movements--tie the movement to your breath and exist only there. This is something that comes with practice and after at least two or three failures.
For me, yoga was a massive challenge. My background and my ego told me that it was stupid and dumb and had nothing to do with sport or athleticism. Now let me tell you: I’ve been wrong before--one time--I don’t like talking about it. But embracing the challenge and the struggle that yoga provides is the road through.
Balance, core strength, focus, flexibility--these things are critical for injury prevention, improved performance, increased strength, increased focus and peace of mind. If you want to live to be 103--do some yoga. It doesn’t have to be a 90-minute haul--you can find 15-20 minutes to work on a posture that you feel is beneficial to you, or maybe it’s just a mountain that you want to climb.
For the next little while I’m going to be watching you and lending some tips for those of you that are still non-believers. Keep up-to-date with our Instagram account (@thecollectivewpg) and check back here on the workout tab. Yoga is that important. Trust me if on no other topic. If there is a way to get in touch with the Force, this is it.
Sit. Breathe. Enjoy the moment.
-v
