Welcome to the Grow Inward Podcast, I’m your host Adrian Petrillo!
So, last week we touched on the subject of meditation. I mentioned how if I could only recommend one practice to others that has the best potential to help them in a comprehensive way, it would be hands down meditation, every time! I fully stand behind that statement, and I truly hope that message reaches every single person who needs something meaningful and beneficial in their lives. I hope that it not only reaches them, but inspires them to take action, so that they can discover the benefits first hand.
Building off of last week’s podcast, I want to talk next about what I consider to be the perfect complementary practice to meditation, which is yoga. I can’t even begin to express how perfectly these two practices work together to benefit you in a very holistic fashion. Interestingly, it has been said that yoga’s original purpose was to help to prepare the physical body to sit for longer periods in meditation? If this is in fact the case, consider how much this speaks to the value placed on meditation, as seen through the eyes of some of the earliest documented practitioners?
Yoga has a rich and incredible history, one that I find endlessly fascinating and appealing as an extremely comprehensive tool for all of life. It is impossible to deny the profound wisdom and benefits contained within this practice when you begin to understand how complete and meticulous it is in its design and function. I will link to a very special book that speaks directly to this in the show notes. In modern times, however, and particularly in the west, it doesn’t seem to be as commonly practiced in its entirety. And yet, this does not diminish the value offered to those who choose to practice just one or more particular aspects of yoga.
Here in the west, yoga appears to be more generally used primarily as a physical practice, which is particularly good for maintaining fitness and flexibility, and it is most certainly that! In fact, I believe this is indeed a great place to start, when approaching yoga for the first time. It is a nice introduction into the physical aspect of yoga, and the wonderful benefits it can offer to all practitioners, this becomes apparent fairly quickly as you begin. The physical practice is also a very practical and beneficial aspect of yoga that does not require getting too caught up in the finer details of the many other aspects of yoga, and one that I highly recommend to everyone.
I really want to encourage listeners to give the physical practice of yoga a try. I do realize that if you have never done it before, then you may have some trepidation for any number of reasons. This is particularly why I want to keep this episode very simple and practical. I want to help you understand the benefits and some very compelling reasons that yoga is worth considering as part of your own practice. I do hope to dive into some of the many other aspects at another time, but for now, let’s just try to keep this fairly simple and straightforward.
When I began yoga myself, I knew absolutely nothing about it. I literally had barely even heard the word yoga (laughs), so I just want to remind you that every journey must first begin with a step, right? This is just how it is, and there is nothing wrong with this at all. I like to look at learning new things as a game, letting go of feeling overwhelmed by things when they are challenging. I just remind myself that I am still a beginner, and this is to be expected. It’s just how we learn and grow, regardless of what we are trying to do in life. Think about something that you are good at, did you begin at the same level you are today? Of course not, you learned and improved over time right? I encourage you to try to have fun learning, simply appreciate it for what it is, and keep moving forward, no matter what you are striving for in your life. We only make things harder when we harshly judge ourselves or expect more than we should, it’s an easy mistake to make in a world that often uses comparison as a weapon.
Something that I have learned in my own practice over time, is that yoga is surely one of the very best things that you can do to manage the effects of aging. We are all going to get older, so why not be proactive and try to do that in a more graceful and forgiving way? Let’s consider the physical benefits of yoga for a moment. As you age, you will naturally lose some amount of muscle and strength gradually over time, and this is a normal process. If you are not living a reasonably active lifestyle or taking good care of yourself, it could potentially end up leading to Sarcopenia, further contributing to increased frailty and issues with mobility in general. In either case, by being proactive and developing good habits of exercise and movement earlier in your life, it can pay huge dividends later in life.
It’s incredibly important to make an effort to maintain your strength and mobility as you age, and yoga is absolutely perfect for accomplishing these goals, and in a very flexible and scalable manner as well. As difficult as yoga can appear to a beginner, there are always modifications you can employ that will help you gradually build up your strength, balance, and flexibility, so that you can progress at a pace that is comfortable for you and your own level, regardless of where you are in your practice.
Many poses in yoga require varying levels of strength, balance, and/or flexibility, which can all be improved over time. This applies to anyone willing to practice with even a modest level of consistency. Ironically, these very same attributes can also be applied to your life. I love that we can learn these concepts of strength, balance, and flexibility, by first applying them toward the improvement of our physical body, but then gradually extend these same concepts out into our life as well. As above, so below, if you will.
You see, so many of us suffer in one or more of these areas in our lives. Maybe you struggle finding the strength to stand up for yourself, or to embody a sense of confidence that you admire in others. Perhaps you struggle with finding a sense of balance in your life or your work, unsure of what could be done differently to create the real changes needed to live life more fully. It’s possible that you have become fixed in your ways, unwilling to bend or change, leaving you feeling stuck in your relationships or your day to day life.
By working on these aspects in your physical body first, and focus on developing that part of yourself, it then becomes easier to see how these concepts also apply to other areas of your life. If you just think about this concept for a moment, it really is quite practical to view in this way. Isn’t that inspiring? I think it’s important that you look for this kind of inspiration in your life, to be willing to reframe the way that you view things, and take a wider view that might shake you from your slumber. Don’t look at yoga as something difficult or time consuming, consider it as a multi-purpose tool for life, with far reaching benefits. Benefits that extend far beyond the practice itself and out into your life and the lives of those around you whom you love.
Let’s touch on the strength and flexibility aspects a bit more, mainly from a physical perspective, and why I find them so valuable. When you think about mobility and being able to freely do the things you do, you likely don’t give much thought to just how precious this gift is on a day to day basis. But I encourage you to seriously consider how much value you do place on being able to do the things that you love to do, the things which require your mobility, strength, and flexibility.
Even the simplest of actions require a certain level of strength and flexibility. It is very easy to take these things for granted while you are young enough that they really aren’t a factor. But, consider the times when you have seen someone who can barely walk or get around. I am sure you have seen an older person slowly shuffling along, or hunched over and walking very cautiously and slowly, or even worse, unable to move without the help of a cart or a wheelchair. Think of those who are no longer able to move freely and do the things they love, because things have progressed to the point of severely restricting their physical capabilities.
There are no judgements here, simply an honest observation of what can happen if we don’t care for ourselves. But there is a potential solution in most cases. Obviously there are many conditions that are beyond the ability of some people to overcome, but I believe that this is the exception, not the rule. By being proactive, and doing yoga earlier in life, you can prevent a whole host of issues that occur naturally via the inevitable aging process, and this is where I would like you to take an honest assessment of where you want to be when you get older, and just ask yourself how important is your mobility to you?
For me, I am an avid outdoorsman and outdoor sport lover. I love hiking, backpacking, fly fishing, snowboarding, and mountain biking, and I would miss all of these things if I were not able to do them. I decided early on that I would do everything I could to keep moving, to be as healthy as I could manage, and to do the best I could to prevent injuries, so that I can continue doing all of this as long as possible. I am careful, but accidents can and do happen. But by working on my strength, balance, and flexibility, I can not only continue doing the things I love, but I strongly increase my chances of preventing injury, and take an active role in maintaining my body and its needs as I age.
This is something I love about yoga, it helps me in all of these areas in all of the best ways. It is low impact, I can easily vary the level of strength and challenge to suit my needs, and it feels amazing every time I do it. Yoga can even become a form of meditation in itself, which I will go into in more detail at another time. But for the outdoor sports that I do, maintaining strength and flexibility are really important, and they help to protect me from injury by maintaining them the best that I can.
You may be surprised to learn just how flexible and strong yoga can actually make you, regardless of where you are on the spectrum today! I know that when I began, I was not limber at all! I had never been flexible my whole life. I really had to work at it. The thing is, when I found yoga and just began doing it consistently, I really enjoyed it, and I loved the way it made me feel afterward most of all. Taking care of yourself just feels good, and doing that consistently begins to improve so many other aspects of your life as a bit of a fringe benefit. Learn to take better care of yourself so you will have more energy to do the things you love, and to maintain that gift well into old age.
There is something else that I would like to address, something that I think many people experience when beginning yoga. I think it is somewhat common for beginners to feel a bit embarrassed when they aren’t able to perform many of the poses when first starting out. Feeling embarrassed is something that we all struggle with, especially when everyone around you seems to have it together, and it doesn’t matter what form this comes in. It’s easy to let your ego get the better of you, and is often enough to keep you away from all sorts of things where you believe it may be a factor at all.
I totally understand, and I have felt this way myself, especially in a yoga class. What I have come to realize though, is that the yoga community tends to be incredibly supportive and helpful when it comes right down to it. In fact, I encourage you to take a class and just have a conversation about where you are with the teacher. You may be shocked at just how willing they are to coach, guide, and encourage you, regardless of your skill level. They largely just want to see you succeed, and the sense of community you can experience in yoga classes can be so helpful and inspiring when you are starting out.
For many people, it is this sense of community that gets them past the most challenging parts of yoga, which is simply beginning and finding your own pace. We are all working with different challenges and hurdles to overcome, but having a supportive community is something that many of us need and crave. I really encourage you to try yoga, and lean into your community. Start a conversation and express any concerns you have, let people help you on your journey by making you feel more comfortable and welcome. It’s funny, this sense of community is something that I think we all should reach for now more than ever, and doesn’t it make great sense to take advantage of that in environments geared toward supporting our overall health and growth? You should not dismiss how beneficial a class and community can be for you, on so many different levels.
I honestly feel like I have barely scratched the surface here, but I hope you are grasping the general idea here of keeping an open mind and understanding that the benefits of yoga are far reaching. It’s worth stumbling right into the messy beginning, and just powering your way through it. Find a class and community that you like and enjoy. Yoga is everywhere now, there are so many options to choose from. Explore, experiment, and have fun doing it. Have a little faith that this is an endeavor that will greatly benefit you and your life for as long as you choose to participate.
I enjoy a home practice, and I always have. I think I like the quiet space and the privacy to work at my own pace. I do yoga in the morning most days, and I find that it is a perfect way to start my day, and I always follow that with some meditation. This is just what I found to be what works best for me. I have done many classes over the years, and I have always enjoyed them, but I always come back to my own private personal practice, and it just feels right for me.
I do encourage beginners to start with a class a couple times a week for a bit, just so that you can get some personalized instruction to help guide you. This will arm you with some helpful tips to be aware of without having to feel too overwhelmed by trying to figure that all out on your own. The community and conversations really are valuable as well, especially when you are first starting out. A class just makes beginning yoga a little easier in general, and before long you will easily be able to build upon what you have learned, whether continuing your practice in a class setting, or potentially moving it to a more private home setting, or maybe a mixture of both? A class is just a nice way to get started, but do what feels right to you, by all means.
I just really enjoy talking about this, and sharing what I have learned on my own journey. I still have so much to learn myself, but I can confidently say that yoga and meditation have changed my life in ways that continually surprise and inspire me. They haven’t magically fixed all my problems in life, but they have made it so much more manageable by helping me to improve my own inner strength, courage, and connection to something meaningful in life.
I really want the same for you, because I know how challenging life can feel at times. We all need more connection and purpose in our lives, something that supports us more holistically. I can’t think of a better place to start than with yoga and meditation, and it is precisely why I chose these two topics to speak about at the very beginning of this podcast. We will definitely dive deeper into these subjects and some of the amazing things about them, but for now I just wanted to share these things that I have come to appreciate so much, knowing that they can benefit you just as much.
I have some links below to some free documents that might be helpful, if you would like a little inspiration or a handy quick reference. Please follow this podcast, and leave a comment, it’s incredibly helpful and much appreciated, and feel free to email me at the link below if you would like to connect.
I will leave you with this beautiful comment from the late B.K.S. Iyengar, a man I deeply respect and honor. This is from his incredible book Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. I highly recommend that you read this book if you want to truly understand the immense depth and potential available within the art of yoga.
“The real purpose of our life is to cross the ocean of illusion, from the shore of worldly pleasures to the other shore of emancipation and eternal bliss.”
I hope you enjoyed this episode, until next time, never underestimate the power you have within you, and keep growing inward.
