When Life Presents Struggles

Life is an interesting journey, don’t you think? We live and grow through many stages. There are many ups and downs and lots of in-betweens. There are struggles and successes. When challenges occur our frame of mind, experiences and capacity to adapt may determine how we persevere. Wise ones have said, it is only through struggles that we can appreciate our strengths. There are many struggles facing humanity today including the war in Ukraine.

Yoga provides helpful tools to address life’s struggles. Interestingly if you look up the definition of Hatha it is forceful. Thus, the activities of Hatha Yoga are of a forceful nature. They challenge us to move out of our comfort zone and explore the physical, mental, energetic and spiritual in new and creative ways. It starts with how we use the body. For clarity, modern styles of physical yoga are variations of Hatha. 

Asana, the poses used in Hatha practice, require unique configurations of the body. Some are relatively easy while others require great effort or force initially. If you recall your first yoga class the cross-legged sitting on the floor may have been a bit jarring. It is something many of us haven’t done since childhood. It can be uncomfortable, yet we muster the will and somehow get through it. In learning new and different poses we struggle with figuring out the proper and safe alignment for the first while, forcing our bodies into positions it’s never encountered. And while we may struggle initially, with regular practice the body opens to these new experiences and starts to find ease with them. Ease and comfort in the pose are some of the goals.

For many, asana is to a large extent their yoga journey. But the more engaged embrace pranayama, the breathwork techniques. These are definitely of a forceful nature. Pranayama challenges us to use the breath in very animated ways to achieve different outcomes. Some will have a stimulating effect, others are more expansive in nature, and some create a state of balance and calm. Pranayama is the force of yoga practice that fundamentally impacts the state of the mind. Mastering pranayama takes time and more perseverance in many ways than asana. People may struggle with mastering the breath for years. And yet, the journey is breathtaking, to use a pun! 

There are other techniques that force energy to be manipulated within us. Bandhas and mudras are systematic locks and gestures that channelling energy within the body. Prana, or lifeforce, has five main functions within the body. In each of these, there is a particular force at play - elimination, integration, energization, ascension and circulation. We aim to get these functions working optimally. Asana affects these but bandhas and mudras are the real gems.

And then we come to meditation, the penultimate forceful activity. Remember the first time you sat to meditate and what a challenge it was. Your mind couldn’t get quiet, your body started to resist the seated position, you started to feel frustration building - and that’s all in the first minute. Over time, however, the body, the breath and the mind align beautifully to take you to a meditative state.

The struggle we experience on the yoga mat teaches us to better deal with the struggles life presents. The days, weeks, months and years of practice open the body and mind in unimaginable ways. We learn to be more comfortable within our skin. We learn to accept the struggles of life with a steady mind. We learn from our struggles and become stronger and more resilient. We appreciate the beautiful gift that life is. We practice gratitude. We live with grace. 

As our fellow humans in Ukraine and other places in the world face unimaginable struggles in the coming days and weeks we can send our love and if possible financial resources their way. For those who are hurting and fear what their loved ones may be going through we can extend our compassion and emotional support. For counsellors and caregivers assisting those affected by the war, we must give our love and gratitude.

If you feel your capacity to deal with life’s struggles isn’t what it could be and you’d like to delve deeper into your yoga practice, I’d love to work with you. Check out my membership options or book a free private session now.