Shavasana Sh$tStorm Series: Part 7
Author: Susie Nelson | Owner of The Cycling Yogi
Today was… not my best day.
You know the kind. Where from the moment you wake up, everything is slightly off, slightly late, slightly irritating, and somehow it’s everyone else’s fault that your favorite yoga pants are still in the wash.
I was trying to do 20 things in the time it should’ve taken to do 5. Which, ironically, made all 20 things take longer and come out worse. I left the house annoyed, forgot my water bottle, and arrived at class already mentally drafting my apology to the world for my attitude.
If it weren’t for the late cancel fee, I would not have been there. Let’s just be honest. That little policy has saved more workouts than motivation ever has.
I flopped onto my mat thinking,“Can this just be over so I can go back to the chaos I’m pretending I have under control?”
And then the instructor says the theme of class: “Today we’re going to focus on listening to your body.” ….. Cool. Cool.
Because hold on everyone – this bitch wants some fries, a diet coke and a nap!
THEN…I reminded myself; I’m a ‘professional’ (questionable i know, but i went with it) and told myself I can get through this. Actually it was more of a “get yourself together loser, you need to get through it because today’s chaos was either going to kill you or land you in jail.”
So somehow, I managed to turn it around. And THAT was the real win and something I feel worth sharing with you all today.
But here’s where this ties into what we talked about in the last episode—modifications and the all-or-nothing brain. (Hmmmm…I’m sensing a pattern! Maybe I need to go back to Maui to adjust my attitude!)
Because when we hear “listen to your body,” we often interpret it one of two very wrong ways:
- Do whatever feels easiest.
- Ignore it completely and power through.
Neither of those is actually listening.
One is indulgence. One is ego.
Real listening is somewhere in the middle.
And that’s what I had to figure out on my mat that day.
Because I didn’t feel like going hard. I didn’t feel like proving anything. I didn’t feel like being impressive. I barely felt like being there.
So instead of going into all-or-nothing mode, I did something different.
I modified. Not because I was weak, because I was overwhelmed.
I took lighter weights.I dropped to my knees.I slowed down.
I focused on breathing instead of “crushing it.”
And somewhere in the middle of that, my entire mood shifted.
Not dramatically. Not magically. Just…steadily.
I stopped fighting the workout. I stopped fighting myself. I stopped trying to perform.
I just moved.
And THAT is what listening to your body actually looks like.
It’s not: “I don’t feel like it, so I quit.”
It’s: “I don’t feel great, so I’m going to choose the version of this that supports me.”
It’s understanding that your body sometimes needs intensity and sometimes needs kindness.
The problem is, most of us only know how to do one of those.
We either:
- Push too hard to prove something, or
- Bail completely because we don’t have the energy to go hard.
But there’s this beautiful middle option we forget about:
Show up. Modify. Keep moving.
By the end of class, I was a completely different human. Calmer. Clearer. Less likely to blame strangers for my laundry situation.
And the big realization was this: My yoga practice wasn’t another thing I HAD to do that day.
It was the thing that helped me handle the day.
Because sometimes the most powerful workouts are the ones where you don’t go all out.
You go all in on awareness instead.
So next time you hear “listen to your body,” remember: It’s not the mean one asking for fries and a nap.
It’s the quieter one saying,“Take the lighter weights.”, “Put your knees down.”, “Slow your breath.”, “Just keep going, gently.”
That’s the voice that makes you stronger.
And honestly?
Thank goodness for the cancellation fee. (you’re welcome! 😉)
Hugs!
Susie
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