Yoga has played a significant role in my life, serving as a practice, discipline, refuge, and teacher. It provided me with a safe space to connect with my body and find peace through non-doing. Initially, I would enter a yoga class with a mind full of thoughts and fears, only to leave with a sense of calmness and quietude. The simple act of allowing myself to relax was a revolutionary concept for me.
However, beyond the physical benefits, yoga has been a powerful form of medicine for me. It not only helped me heal my spine but also addressed the deeper, invisible wounds of trauma that had affected my body, mind, and soul. As my yoga practice progressed, it evolved from a mere physical routine to a transformative tool for emotional and spiritual healing.
Here are some valuable lessons that I learned during my journey with yoga, lessons that can potentially help others find healing through their own practice.
Find Trauma in the Body
Growing up, I carried deep-seated trauma that manifested not only in my mind but also in my body. Scoliosis caused my spine to curve unevenly, while the unspoken stress of family dynamics left me feeling tight, anxious, and burdened with responsibility. Initially, yoga served as a means to alleviate physical pain and discomfort, but I soon realized that I was seeking something more profound – a way to make peace with a body that felt broken and a life that felt heavy.
Lesson 1: Listen to your body. Pain and tension are not random occurrences; they are the body’s way of communicating. By paying attention to areas of contraction or instability, we can begin to understand what our bodies are trying to tell us.
Take the First Steps
Yoga initially provided relief for my physical ailments. Through various poses and stretches, I was able to address the discomfort in my body and find a sense of ease. However, as I delved deeper into my practice, I began to notice a shift beyond the physical realm. With each movement, my breath became more intentional, my nervous system calmed, and I felt less compelled to control everything in my life. Yoga taught me the art of letting go.
Lesson 2: Start with the body, but pay attention to the breath. While yoga may begin as a physical exercise, the breath serves as an anchor for healing. True transformation occurs when we integrate body movement with conscious breathing.
Go Beyond the Physical
As my practice deepened, I started to recognize how my yoga mat mirrored my life off the mat. I realized that my tendencies to push myself too hard and strive for perfection transcended the physical realm and permeated my daily interactions. Yoga challenged me to soften where I was rigid and strengthen where I was weak, both physically and emotionally. The lesson was not about attaining perfection but about accepting and embracing myself as I was.
Lesson 3: Let the mat be your mirror. Observe your patterns during practice. Are you pushing yourself too hard? Are you collapsing without support? The yoga mat serves as a safe space to explore new ways of being.
Finding Steadiness and Ease
Teaching yoga not only allowed me to assist others but also reinforced the lessons I needed to learn myself. Every time I guided a student toward finding stability and ease, I was reminded of the same principles that I needed to embody. Through my work as a physiotherapist, I discovered that back pain was not merely a physical issue but a reflection of how we carry ourselves in the world – either too rigid or too yielding. Yoga offered a pathway to restoring balance in both body and mind.
Lesson 4: Learn what you have to teach. By sharing our healing journeys with others, whether through teaching, coaching, or simply imparting wisdom, we reinforce the lessons that are most essential for our own growth and well-being.
Silence, Space, and Transformation
The most profound transformation occurred for me amidst the vast desert landscape. Surrounded by silence and openness, I relinquished the confines of structured sequences and allowed my body to move freely. Sometimes I flowed with movement, sometimes I remained still, and at times, I simply lay on the ground and focused on my breath. In that expansive space, I realized that yoga transcended mere physical postures – it was about freedom, presence, and wholeness. It was about embracing myself fully, scars and all, and connecting with the essence of my being.
Lesson 5: Create space for uninhibited movement. Release the constraints of structured practice and allow your body to move intuitively. In this unstructured space, yoga becomes not only a means of healing but a pathway to liberation.
Healing is About Embracing Life Fully
Today, yoga remains my anchor, guiding me with a simple mantra: "May I understand my purpose and be empowered to fulfill it." Through the practice of yoga, I have learned to embody qualities of stability, ease, strength, and softness. Healing is not about erasing the past or striving for perfection; it is about living authentically and trusting in the inherent wisdom that emerges when we balance discipline with grace. The journey from trauma to resilience, from rigidity to fluidity, from brokenness to wholeness is a narrative that unfolds daily, both on and off the mat.
In conclusion, yoga has served as a profound source of healing and transformation in my life, offering a pathway to self-discovery, acceptance, and growth. By integrating the lessons learned through yoga practice into our daily lives, we can cultivate a sense of balance, harmony, and well-being that extends beyond the confines of the yoga mat.
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Author Bio
Rachel Krentzman PT, C-Ayt, MBA is a dedicated yoga instructor and physiotherapist, as well as a certified Hakomi psychotherapist. With a background in Orthodox Judaism and a history of trauma, Rachel has developed a unique approach to personal healing through somatic, body-oriented psychotherapy and yoga therapy. Despite facing challenges such as scoliosis and damaged discs, she has created a powerful therapy that has positively impacted countless students and patients worldwide.
Currently residing in Israel with her husband, son, and two dogs, Rachel has authored several books on yoga, including "Scoliosis, Yogatherapy, and the Art of Letting Go" (2016). Her latest book, "As Is: A Memoir About Healing the Past Through Yoga," delves into her personal journey of healing and transformation. To learn more about Rachel and her work, visit happybackyoga.com.
