How Do you Deal?

When a yoga pose becomes difficult or uncomfortable, how do you deal? What is your best response?

Your best options are:

1) Endure, thrive, and breathe in the challenge.
2) Modify the pose to make it easier.
3) Choose a completely different pose such as sitting meditation, child's pose, happy baby, a twist, down dog or its variations, or any other pose that seems better for you. The point is...DO A YOGA POSE. (Ask the teacher if you don't know what to do.)

Your worst options are:

1) Quit and feel like a failure and sit in a slump on your mat while looking around defeatedly at fellow students. This is counterproductive and a total waste of time.
2) Hold difficult pose too long and injure yourself. Injury generally results when you recklessly ignore your body and its needs.


You have options, and you must make decisions in your yoga practice. Your best options are the ones that make you feel brighter inside and/or make you safely challenge your mind and body to greater heights. Having the courage to hold a pose even though it may be challenging or uncomfortable can help you to learn more about yourself and to grow stronger physically, mentally, and spiritually.