Lessons on and off this yoga mat

I took a pretty amazing yoga class this morning in Thailand. I’ve been traveling for the past few weeks, and this was the fourth yoga class I’ve had the joy of experiencing. From California to Cambodia to here in Koh Lanta. I don’t want to say this class was the best I’ve taken on this trip, but it was definitely the one that resonated with me the most.

I love taking yoga classes while traveling, especially in countries where there are people in the room whose primary language isn’t English. Whether it’s the teacher or the students who are multilingual, it’s always fascinating to me to hear instruction these classes. It often feels more precise and includes more open silence. Which, truthfully, is sometimes really lovely. I know I can be a bit of a verbose teacher! So hearing new ways to explain familiar poses is a great exercise and a good reminder.

A few things really stuck with me from this morning’s class. The first was the idea of giving ourselves, as students, some freedom. The teacher mentioned it in a few contexts. Freedom if you’re new to yoga and don’t feel pressure to do everything; freedom if your mind feels anxious about being in class, to let the thoughts settle; freedom to listen to your body and emotions, and make the practice work for you; and freedom to accept exactly where you are in this moment and simply be you.

We say this a lot as yoga teachers. Listen to your body, accept where you are today, quiet the mind, take what you need. But how often do we really do this? Why is it so hard to let ourselves be free? It’s something that extends off the mat, too. Freedom to rest when tired, to say no and honor our own boundaries. To say yes when we’re excited about something new or uncertain, even a little uncomfortable. Freedom to be a beginner, whether it’s a new kind of yoga or a new chapter in life. Freedom from being perfect.

Freedom is one of my top core values, and the reminder this morning felt especially important. No matter how many times we hear something, each time it hits a little differently.

The second thing that landed with me was her cue to take patient breaths. Keyword being patient. As a teacher, I’ll often say slow, deep, gentle, or even conscious breaths. But I’ve never actually said patient before, and it felt like a big difference. It includes slow and gentle, but also something more intentional, more caring. More active and freeing. Not in a way that pushes toward achieving something or being emotional, but in a way that treats oneself with kindness and acceptance.

And what a wonderful way to approach our breath, with patience. Even expanding that in yoga terms with pranayama. Our prana, our energy, our life force. Can we show all of those things more patience, on and off the yoga mat?

Lastly, we ended class with gratitude before opening our eyes from savasana. I know, I know. Another familiar one. We often hear suggestions to make a gratitude list, keep a gratitude journal, try a gratitude meditation. I’ve done many of these myself. There’s even lots of scientific research about the value of a gratitude practice. Studies show that regularly expressing gratitude can increase feelings of happiness by over 25% and help regulate the nervous system by activating the parasympathetic response, lowering heart rate and stress hormones. So sounds pretty worth the time to be grateful.

For me, though, this morning’s gratitude felt more simple. Before class, I chatted briefly with the teacher and mentioned that it was my last day on the island. In a few days, I’d be returning to Cape Cod. Back to work the start of winter, the "real world". I added that I wasn’t too bummed though, because a few months later I’d be heading to Costa Rica and Nicaragua. To the sunshine and warmth. Doing what I love, leading a yoga retreat and then spending a week on the beach. I said, “I’m really lucky, so even though I’m leaving, there’s nothing to feel sad about.” She agreed, and we both chuckled.

Bringing that energy back at the end of class felt poignant. A little gratitude closure, if you will. I’m grateful that I get to explore new places around the world and take yoga classes wherever I go. To be a student. To listen. To learn. To take these lessons, both on and off the yoga mat.

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