A Yogic Perspective on Weathering a Global Pandemic

Maybe you have an established yoga practice, maybe you’re just starting out. Either way, now is the time for yoga. (Ok, ok, yes Patanjali, now is always the time for yoga, but really right NOW is the perfect time for yoga). Depending on where you live and who you are, we’re somewhere between 30 and 50 days into world-wide stay-at-home orders during an unprecedented (I swear if I hear that word one more time…) global pandemic, practicing physical distancing with no knowledge or control over what comes next. Our world has changed astonishingly quickly. We’re into the time period now where the novelty is wearing off, the motivation is running dry, and exhaustion is setting in as these unusual circumstances are turning out to be more of a marathon than a sprint. Yoga is a perfect tool for this time in a myriad of ways from the spiritual to the physical, but today we’re going to hone-in on how yoga can help us get through the experience of weathering a global pandemic.

We call what we do on our yoga mats a “practice” because the real Yoga happens off the mat. On our mat, the experience of moving our physical body in asanas - shapes/poses - allows us to practice the way we want to be in the rest of our lives. It’s a rehearsal for the real thing. And isn’t one of the core difficulties of life the fact that there is no practice, no rewind, no do-overs? We find ourselves stuck in the same habits, the same unproductive behaviors, making the same mistakes, frustrated by our lack of improvement, not living the life we want to or be the person we know we can be.

For example, lets say Jane has a temper. When she gets angry or frustrated she finds herself raising her voice, saying unkind things to her loved ones, and unable to think rationally. She doesn’t like this about herself and continually sets the intention to be better next time, but when next time comes she’s already angry, already emotionally attached to the situation — a difficult environment in which to try to make changes.

Yoga asana practice is like a petri dish: a carefully controlled environment stripped of physical distractions and emotional attachments. We create this calm, clean environment and then we put ourselves in places of stress, whether that’s a deep stretch, a strengthening posture, or just a very strange position that we would never do in our regular lives (Warrior 1, anyone?!). We put ourselves in these places of stress or places of what-the-heck in a controlled environment so that we can practice how we react to that. Here, on our mat, away from our habits, our attachments, and the need to connect with other people, we can take a close look at our reactions and here have the space and the time to practice changing them, to practice moving them toward the person we want to be and we know we can be. Jane can notice when her anger starts to arise, and practice the way she wants to approach situations when she feels angry. The next time a situation arises in her life, she’ll have some practice doing the thing she wants to do, making her better able to do it in the moment that matters. So, asana is practice for life.

When I am in life circumstances that are undesirable or uncomfortable, especially ones that I have very little control over, I like to think of them as yoga poses. In particular, Chair Pose (because let’s be honest, no one likes Chair Pose, and it never gets easier).

I try to place myself in the mindset of being in a yoga class in Chair pose, 100% done with the pose and ready to be out of it and on to the next thing when the teacher says “just 5 more breaths.” What I want to do is groan in exasperation (and I do, internally), but then the question is how do I maintain this pose? Sure, I could make the choice to continue feeling exasperated and attached to my dislike of this pose and dislike of this moment, squeezing, holding, gripping, and feeling uncomfortable. Does that help me? Probably not. There are things I can do that help me stay in Chair pose for 5 more breaths in a non-awful way, and when I’m in a rough life situation I try to use those same things to help me get through it.

1. Notice. Take note of how you feel. “I feel frustrated that we’re STILL in Chair pose. I don’t like this at all and I want it to be over.” You can’t change something if you don’t even know it’s happening, so awareness is the first step. Give yourself time to feel what you feel. If you try to brush it aside or not feel it, it will just keep popping up demanding to be felt.

   Maybe you give yourself 30 seconds to let the full weight of the emotion wash over you. Maybe you give yourself a full day to sit on the couch, do nothing, feel sorry for yourself, or whatever you feel like doing that day. Give yourself a set amount of time, with an ending. Once that 30 seconds or 24 hours is over, set that feeling aside and move on.

2. Connect. Start to tune in. Check in with your breath, your heartbeat, where you feel unnecessary tension in your body. Usually, I realize i’m holding my breath and striving way too hard. You might notice that you’re checked out and barely trying at all. Breathe more deeply and let some things relax a little bit, bring ease to the pose instead of pushing so hard. Alternatively, activate your breath stronger and support yourself by toning your muscles. Make adjustments as needed.

   What are the fundamental things you need physically and mentally? Maybe you need to be a little bit easier on yourself. Maybe you need to be a little bit more disciplined. Maybe you need to go for a run, or do some gentle stretching. Tip: your breath will usually let you know what it is that you need.

3. Move. “But how do I move when I’m stuck here in Chair pose?!” There is always some room for movement, for change. Within the shape you have choices. In Chair pose you can move your hips lower or higher, you can shift your weight forward and back, you can reach into your finger tips or bring the arms down and give your shoulders a break. Even if you choose to remain completely still, your breath still moves through you and your heart still beats. You may be stuck in Chair pose, but you’re not stuck. You have choices. You might just have to get creative. Find every possible change you can make to make yourself comfortable enough to breathe and to stay in the pose.

   Maybe this means changing up your daily routine a little bit. There might be habits that aren’t serving you during this time. How can you change them to something that will help support you?

Something I love about asana practice is that compared to challenging life circumstances, it’s a relief to tackle a challenge as simple as placing my body in a shape and holding it. No, it’s not easy, but it’s a challenge I can do. It’s a simple, quick win that builds confidence. And trust me, if you can breathe easily and maybe even smile in Chair pose, you can do anything.