Over the past several years of working in the yoga industry, I’ve observed two camps forming. There’s the yoga camp that classifies the practice as a spiritual, meditative, healing experience that happens to be physical. The other focuses on the physical challenge of yoga, capitalizing on the unique exercise benefits.
For the most part these two parties play nice in the sandbox. Every so often, someone picks up a handful of prejudicial sand and whips it across the playground;
“Yoga isn’t meant to be a workout!!”
“Physical strength, alignment, and lifting weights matters!”
“This is a spiritual practice! Leave the gym stuff at the gym!”
“Arm balances help me feel strong and connected to myself!”
A question to pause these playground antics?
Why can’t it be both?
Yoga shows us the oneness of things. It asks us to let go of dualistic thinking. By rewiring “one or the other” “better than” type arguments, it allows us to see how yoga embodies the link between the physical and spiritual worlds beautifully.
Working out is a healing experience for many, myself included. The release of pent up nerves, anxiety, lethargy, and self doubt are all things people experience when becoming physically active. So many obstacles that hamper personal growth and better self understanding fall away when we hit the gym.
I live for that moment in my cardio workout where the endorphins are pumping. I’ve pushed past the voice that said to stay on the couch. I adore conquering the wall that comes a few minutes in that feels deceptively solid. The voices in my head grow silent as I get lost in the rhythm of limbs and heart pumping. I am free. I feel joy. I feel found.
Within the world of yoga there are forms like restorative and yin that allow for less action and more contemplation. There is also the act of meditation, which asks us to sit still, breathe and practice being. It unleashes a sense of wellness that is undeniable, and holds a different quality of peace, specifically geared towards training the mind. Even so, it is the act of physically placing the body in engaging shapes which helps bring the mind into softer, more malleable states. In the case of meditation, it is sitting tall or lying flat so the spine is straight, making the pathway between body and mind more smooth. When was the last time your meditation app asked you to slouch? I’m guessing never. Posture and mood are linked.
For many people, movement practices are their pathway to peace of mind. For two decades, this was how I found mental and emotional balance. Anytime life started to spiral out of control, or my head became too much for me, I moved my body. Whether it was a 10K run, a weight workout, pulling on the ergometer or rowing until my hands blistered, calloused and then blistered again. This worked for me. It still works for me.
To say that working out is not spiritual is denying a truth. Whether or not we are aware of this truth is the real question.
Once someone points it out, it’s pretty hard to ignore. Try to deny the tranquil vibe that permeates the body and mind after a satisfying workout. What about the overcoming of physical challenges that leads to emotional and mental strengthening. Not to mention the feeling of connection that occurs when you are in a team situation and everyone is working together for a purpose greater than themselves.
To this day I’ve yet to find a feeling that rivals the synergy that came from a boat full of powerful women swinging and pulling in unison. It is other worldly. The only way to describe it would be as a spiritual, almost out of body experience. To say nothing of the community bond that forms when you are in a positive team environment. I am still connected to many of these women. I feel this connection in the deepest parts of my heart, and will continue to feel it until the day I die. Talk to any athlete who bonded with their teammates, especially bonding over several years. That link is for life!
Everyone comes to the mat in a different way and with different intentions. For many, they come to the mat looking to stretch or de-stress. To get a little bit of sweating in and let go of the day. This ends up being the gateway drug that gets people hooked. The thing that keeps them coming back? The peace of mind and soul also found in yoga.
To say these initial or possibly current intentions are “wrong” simply because they differ from our own, defeats one of the main lessons in yoga:
Ishvara pranidhana – surrender to the divine. When we get so caught up in arguing what yoga “should” be, we miss out on the purpose of the practice which is to pull us back into the moment, surrender to a purpose bigger than ourselves, and seek peace within ourselves and this world by exploring our inner and outer landscapes.
The body is the pathway to the spiritual realm. It is our way of experiencing life both physical and spiritual.
Of course the option to focus on spirituality when coming to the mat is always on the table. So is prioritizing the body, or clearing the mind. Each of these approaches have value. Each is meant to meet the individual needs of a person. Our needs shift daily. The wonderful things about yoga? It can shift and change to help meet those needs.
If you believe the adage “We are a spiritual being having a human experience” then we can concede with grace; body mind and spirit are all one.
Spiritual experiences don’t stop when you step on a treadmill.
I wanted to end this blog with a confession. The act of stopping or slowing down is probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.
When I am injured or sick, I am forced to hear my thoughts and notice my feelings. As much as I believe working out to be a spiritual experience, movement can also distract us. It can pull us away from the deeper work that needs tending to. The sticky emotional, mental and spiritual work that many of us actively avoid by, well, staying active.
But remember this – if you are strong enough to move, you are strong enough to stop. Let the lessons you learned while finding clarity at the gym help you as you seek clarity within. Better yet, the next time you head to the gym, go with the intention of infusing your time there with spiritual purpose. Bring phrases like, “seek peace” or “build self love” “connect to self so you can better connect to others”. Try dedicating your next workout to someone you love. See how you feel at the end of your spiritual sweat session. What comes up may surprise you.
