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Yoga as an Attitude Adjuster

by Viki Distin

I had every intention of writing about the importance of consistent yoga practice when the unthinkable happened. During one of our classes, three purses were stolen from the cubbies. Two weeks prior to this incident I had the flu, plus a cold virus - the kind that knocks your socks off.

Both these events led me to think about that cliche: "It is not what happens to you in life, but how you deal with it." I imagine that most adults would not deny this wisdom, so I think it worthwhile to explore ways to develop an unshakable attitude. Like yoga.

Yoga will not keep us immune from illness or from unfortunate occurrences, but it will enable us to remain focused and calm and consistent with our values when the unfortunate occurs. The reasons that yoga helps to maintain a positive attitude are too many for the space of this article. So I will touch on just a few important ones.

One reason yoga is valuable is that it focuses the mind. B.K.S. Iyengar, one of the famous yogis of our time, says that the biggest adjustment we will ever make is not of the body, but of the mind. Yoga helps reduce mental fluctuations. With fewer fluctuations we are more prepared to meet the problems of life. Yoga takes us out of our rational, linear way of thinking. This different mentality helps us adjust to a world that is not always rational; in fact, the world is often quirky. An example of the world's quirkiness happened just after the purse thefts when the thief mailed one of the purses (the purse containing a rosary, no less) back to its rightful owner with everything intact except the money! With this kind of unpredictability and quirkiness in our world, we need new outlooks to assist us.

Whenever we are in a yoga pose, whether it be upside down or in a challenging position we have never held before, we have the opportunity to keep our breath even and heart open. The training we do on yoga mats helps to build resilience, fortitude, and impassiveness to what is happening inside and outside us.

Through our yoga practice we nurture feelings of gratitude and acceptance of life's mysteries rather than waste energy seeking answers. Gratitude and embracing mysteries will become cornerstones that will keep us from being sucked into the tornadoes of negative thinking.

Finally, yoga teaches us to let go and surrender to "what is." People who practice yoga will still get sick, and nice people will have their purses stolen. How we respond could be determined by our yoga practice... and how consistent it is.