Yoga, like wellness, is a practice.
Sounds good, but what exactly is a practice? Well, it’s more than a feel-good noun…as I was reminded on Monday night.
Slogging through yoga class, I was feeling oh-so-virtuous for getting to the mat on time (always a struggle), setting an intention, and not stealing too many glances at the clock. Hey, I was even doing a decent rendition of a standing split!
That is, until our dear teacher toppled me over with two fingers.
She scolded (in a gentle, yogi sort of way) that although my form looked fine, I wasn’t really practicing the pose. She pointed out that the standing leg wasn’t engaged and my core was MIA. Forget breathing and focus--I was alphabetizing a mental to-do list in an attempt to remember it after class.
It was a clear reminder that going through the motions and positioning yourself correctly doesn’t cut it. You’ve got to do the real work to get the real benefit of any practice.
That holds true for all of the adolescent wellness domains--mood, stress, sleep, nutrition, fitness, and social connections. And especially for yoga.
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