March 1, 2024
The Stiff Stuff
Elizabeth Brass
Certified Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher & Yoga Therapist (IAYT)
It's the small progressions in ourselves that often go unseen.
By not recognizing our own progress, it's easy to become frustrated.
The positive changes in our posture, in our energy, in our outlook over time are impossible to measure.
Because we can't measure the transformations that occur in us from our yoga practice, they go under valued.
A stiff body affects all of us at some point whether we practice yoga or not. It can be from age, weather, hormones, or post injury or illness, stiffness can effect our lives, making it hard to do the things we want and need to do.
Recently, some yoga students were questioning if they should practice yoga in the morning because they feel so stiff at that time of day. Some prefer to practice later in the day when their body is warmed up. We spoke about how the morning is considered the best time to practice, even though the body is stiff because the mind is quiet. Later in the day, the body may be more flexible, but the mind is tighter, busy with thoughts from the day, making it hard to focus and become calm. If we can gently and carefully deal with our morning stiffness, it will bring great benefits for mobility, strength, and concentration for our daily life.
Stiffness isn't something to be ashamed of. Stiffness isn't a reason to not practice yoga. Physical stiffness can cause us to feel limited in our abilities and options. When menopause began, I felt my hips like never before. Suddenly, movements that were once possible became difficult and painful. Stiffness caused me to see myself differently and figure out how to move and practice in my changing body.
Stiffness can feel like an absolute, like that's just the way it is, but it isn't a fixed personal characteristic like the color of our eyes. Our bodies are in a constant state of flux, informed by our histories, cultures, and lives we life. We influence our bodies by the choices we make, like practicing yoga in the morning, evening, or not at all.
I try (not always easy at all!) to remain open to experimentation even when I find something that works for me. For example, I'm not a morning person, but I am thinking about teaching at 7:00am or 7:30am in an upcoming retreat. I've never taught for a whole week at that time and wonder what it will be like. I know what its like as a student and want to give my students that chance too.
Geetaji said that stiffness in the body can be worked with, but stiffness in the mind, is much harder!
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