Learning from a Newbie

If only I’d known about this years ago…

My new student, a middle-aged gentleman who spends his days renovating homes and walking miles with his dogs, tells me this at least once in every session. 

He turned to yoga seeking relief from wear-and-tear accumulated over decades of physical work and athletic conditioning.

After several months of consistent practice, he’s astonished at the results. Many of his nagging aches and pains have dissipated. He feels better and more vibrant than he has in years.

What’s even more remarkable to him is the impact on his mental well-being.  He reports feeling calmer, more content, and happier overall. He describes himself as a new person in both body and mind. 

His enthusiasm is so refreshing to witness and a great reminder about just how powerful yoga can be when practiced with diligence.

Once you’ve been at it for a while, it’s easy to take for granted the relief yoga can bring in a relatively short amount of time.

Even more striking to me, though, is that this student isn’t just discovering just how great yoga is; he’s also learning a whole new way of relating to himself.

Learning how to listen to the body, to respect one’s capacity, and to become more sensitive and cultivate greater self-awareness; I’m seeing with new eyes just how revolutionary all this is, and how starkly it contrasts to the type of effort most of us might be accustomed to making in pretty much every other area of life.

That’s a tremendous shift from how most of us learned to approach mastering a new skill, and one of the most valuable ways that the mindset we develop in yoga serves us in our lives.

It’s a lesson that serves even the most seasoned among us.