Not the sexiest act to perform: weeping, nose blowing, letting it all out and giving zero f*cks who sees you. Been there, done that – how about you?
Whether it is dealing with a sick parent, a tough break-up, loss of a job, or some other stressful and emotional chapter in life, you may have seen someone else, or been the person crying in public. While this may not seem like a topic worth writing about, as I have had some major life changes in the past few years I noticed myself crying in public more and more. The coffee shop with my best friend, walking down a crowded street, the waiting room at the doctor’s office.
Sometimes a place or yoga pose would unlock something, other times I just couldn’t hold in all my frustrations after a particularly challenging day or week. Whatever the case may be, I did notice feeling embarassed that I could not ‘hold it together’. The fact of the matter is, life is tough, and if you need to cry to let go of, or express some emotions that are bottling up inside you – LET THAT SHIT GO even if it comes out at an inopportune time.
Crying in Yoga
When I started really committing to my personal yoga practice, I would avoid certain postures (such as pigeon) to avoid sobbing with others around me. After learning that we hold a lot of emotional energy and memories with in our bodies, particularly in our hips, I embraced the savasana sob, and encourage you to as well.
My goal whether it is teaching one on one, in a classroom setting, or at a retreat is to hold a safe space for my students so that they can really explore what is going on not just physically in their bodies, but also energetically. I encourage them to notice how their thoughts and emotions may shift though the different asanas, and realize that the mind, body and breath are truly influential and connected to one another. With the fast paced world of never-ending to do lists that we live in, it is increasingly important for people to ‘check in’ with themselves, and make sure they are feeling emotionally and energetically stable.
Feeling your Feelings
While the thought of openly displaying emotions in front of others may make us cringe, remembering that all feelings – bad and good – are temporary, can be a reassuring reminder. I like to think of yoga as a tool in my toolbox for handling and digesting everything that I struggle with in my life, and recognizing all the joy and ease that does exist day to day.
A huge heartfelt shout out to all of my amazing friends, family members, yoga teachers and students for allowing me express my joy, pain, sadness, heartache and laughter with you week after week. My greatest joy is learning with you and from you.
Please share a comment below about a place or posture that left you crying in public, see you on your mat soon! XOXO