15 Struggles Only People Who Practise Yoga Will Understand

The benefits of yoga appear to be endless for both the mind and body, but it’s not always a smooth ride on the path to enlightenment! Teacher and writer Emma-Louise Newlyn walks us through some of the trials and tribulations only a truly dedicated yogi can face…

1 

Forget windows, ventilation, doors or wallpaper; when deciding upon which new house or flat to move into, the deciding factor is whether or not there’s enough space to fit your yoga mat…

 

2

There’s never anyone around to see (or take that all-important Instagram photo) when you finally manage to hold a handstand away from the wall!

 

3

Ignorance is bliss… Before you started meditating, you didn’t even know it was possible to hold so many annoying thoughts in one person’s head.

 

4

You’re more sensitive to the weather, the moon, the temperature, the tone of people’s voices, other people’s breathing, your own breathing… Basically everything has a much deeper meaning than it used to.

 

5

The smell of other people’s feet becomes an all-too-familiar scent.

 

6

A 24 x 68 inch rubber mat becomes one of the most important things you own, and stepping on someone else’s just feels wrong. God forbid if someone were to step on your mat.

 

7

What happened to all your other clothes? Yoga pants have now taken over half your closet, and they’re stretchy… So don’t even think about putting on that new pair of jeans once you’ve been living in these overly-forgiving pants for six months.

 

8

You now spend more money on yoga classes than you do on the weekly shop.

 

9

You’ve seen far too much of everyone else’s butt, crotch, armpits and feet.

 

10

Beans for lunch? Not after the last time ‘apanasana’ or ‘wind-relieving pose’ took on a very literal meaning…

 

11

Stopping to check whether or not your yoga pants are see-through is the most important thing to do before leaving the house, and forgetting to do so is likely to end in a highly embarrassing situation… Especially if you’re wearing those leggings to the supermarket, the coffee shop and to pick up the kids from school after class.

 

12

Are you ohm-ing in tune? No one wants to be heard chanting off-key at the back of the room.

13

Now everyone knows you practise yoga, you’re the new go-to person for health advice, and everyone will ask you how to cure their back ache and sore neck…

 

14

Getting up earlier to practise is made much more difficult after a late night out drinking, so say goodbye to 2am tequila shots.

 

15

It makes you a lot more compassionate, which means a lot more time is taken up with caring for other people. You’ve even started smiling at strangers in the street and starting random conversations in the supermarket.

 

About the author

Emma-Louise Newlyn is a trained yoga teacher, freelance writer and qualified massage therapist. Her yoga classes are based around vinyasa flow and place an emphasis on finding your own unique practice and discovering the potential of your body. She has a passion for spreading the world of well-being to others and helping people to realise that their own natural state of being is one of health and happiness.