The progress in yoga you can't always see

Physical progress isn’t the only, or even the most important way to notice the impact of your yoga practice.

When we think of progress in yoga, we often picture physical progress, getting ‘better’ at the poses, finding it easier to hold a pose, feeling stronger or more flexible, or finally doing a pose that once felt impossible. This isn’t surprising, as so much of the yoga world, especially online, focuses on how yoga looks, rather than how it makes us feel.

It makes sense that a lot of us want to see physical progress too. We live in a society where achievement is celebrated, where being good at something usually means measurable, linear results. It can feel amazing when you notice that a posture feels more comfortable than it used to, or when you surprise yourself with something you didn’t think you could do.

I go back and forth with the idea of progress. On the one hand, I don't think that we need to be constantly progressing at something for it to be valuable or meaningful to our lives, what happened to doing something just for the fun of it, without any set or measurable goals!? But on the other hand, I can’t deny that it does feel good to notice progress! When I first got into yoga I loved challenging myself physically, setting goals to practice every day, and working towards specific poses, it felt really fun to push myself and notice changes in my practice.

I think, as with everything, the key is balance and awareness, not too much or too little of either - trusting yourself to know when you need a bit of challenge, and when you need to ease off a bit, and enjoying both!

So, whilst it is definitely nice to notice physical progress, there are so many other ways to notice the impact of your yoga practice. They might not be as easy to see, and they can seem quite subtle, but these impacts are often the ones that slowly change how you move through your everyday life, and they should be noticed and celebrated too:

1. Having less self-criticism in movement

It’s quite common, when you first start practicing yoga, to be very self-critical, focusing on what you can’t do or what you think you’re not very good at. I had this mindset for years, there were certain poses that I thought I was rubbish at because I didn’t look like the ‘perfect’ version of the pose I’d seen other people doing (hi wide-legged forward fold).

Even just beginning to notice when these self-critical thoughts are present, and trying to let them pass without adding further judgement, is huge progress and takes a LOT of awareness. This then enables you to see if there’s a kinder way to approach yourself in the moment (this is where the yogic principle of ahimsa, or non-violence/kindness comes in).

Physically, your experience of a pose may not change at all - I still can’t get my chest any closer to the mat than I used in a wide-legged forward fold - but that small shift in mindset shouldn’t be underestimated. It can completely change your experience of a pose - you might actually start to enjoy it, or at least feel indifferent about it! And the best thing is, if you’re less self-critical on the mat, you might find that you’re less self-critical off the mat too.

this is probably the closest my chest will ever get to the ground, and I'm absolutely fine with it 🥰

2. Adapting a pose for your own body

There’s 2 parts to this one. The first is realising that there is no ‘perfect’ version of a pose, and that you don’t need to try and force yourself into the same version of a pose that you see someone else, or the teacher, doing. And the second is finding the version that works for you. Yoga is for everyone, but not all poses will be accessible or comfortable to all of us, and that’s okay. Knowing what version of a pose works best for you, and feeling comfortable and confident to do your own unique version, even if it doesn’t look like anyone else’s version, is huge. That’s real advanced yoga!

3. Noticing you breathe more fully

Arguably slightly physical, but I’m putting this one in here anyway! It can be really difficult when you first start practicing yoga to consciously breathe fully. We’re all born with the ability to breathe deeply, using our diaphragm for full-lung breaths, but as we get older, stress, lifestyle habits and posture can lead us to rely more on our chest muscles for breathing, resulting in shallower, less efficient breaths.

We have to relearn how to take full, deep breaths. It takes practice, and some days it’ll feel easier than others, but even just being able to pause and notice how your breath is feeling is so helpful, both during your yoga practice and in your everyday life. That awareness then gives you the space to consciously breathe more fully and deeply, helping to calm your body and move you out of fight-or-flight and into a more relaxed state.

4. Learning to rest without guilt

How often do you actually let yourself rest without feeling guilty about it? Be really honest. Without thinking that you should or could be doing something else? It’s so hard! We all need and deserve rest, but living in a world obsessed with productivity, optimisation and busyness, you can feel like you’re falling behind, or you’re lazy, if you’re not constantly go-go-go, getting stuff done, all day, every day.

Learning to ignore that annoying little voice, and to rest without guilt, is big, BIG progress. Start with the 10ish mins of Savasana at the end of each yoga class - scheduled time where you have to rest, and where there’s no point feeling guilty about it because there’s physically nothing else for you to do during that time (you could get up and leave, but that would be very rude!).

All that time spent resting in Savasana will add up bit by bit, helping you get used to resting without guilt, until it becomes easier to do in your everyday life too. And even if that 10mins a week is all you can manage, it’s a lot better than nothing!

5. Building the courage to step into a yoga space at all

If you’ve never been to a yoga class before, it can feel quite daunting and intimidating at first. Personally, I practiced yoga for years online at home before building the courage to go to an in-person class as I was convinced that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the teacher, that I’d be told I was doing the poses wrong, and that everyone would be able to tell I didn’t fit in.

With the overwhelming representation we see of yoga being focused on young, able-bodied, over-flexible people doing crazy shapes in perfectly matched, extortionately expensive activewear, it’s no surprise people are a bit wary about joining a real life class. Building the courage to step into the yoga space at all in a massive step, and shouldn’t be overlooked. So you can and should absolutely congratulate yourself just for showing up!

6. Not taking yourself too seriously

One of my favourite things about yoga is that I really feel like it’s taught me to take myself less seriously. When I first started practicing yoga I was very serious about getting things ‘right’, having the ‘correct’ alignment and remaining very focused. That was fine, but it was a bit of a boring way to practice.

I give full credit to balance poses for the shift away from this serious mindset - it’s almost impossible not to laugh at yourself when you’re trying so hard to stay still but you keep wobbling all over the place, especially if you’re practicing with other yogis and you’re all wobbling together.

This links to the yogic principle of aparigraha (non-grasping) - practicing letting go, embracing change as constant and going with the flow. Our bodies, mindsets and energy levels are always going to change and shift, and if you can accept your limitations and laugh at yourself on the mat, it’s going to be a lot easier to do so off the mat too.

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All of these shifts can feel small but they are really huge! How you talk to yourself, how you breathe, how you rest, how you respond to challenge, it’s all so important and deserves just as much attention as the more physical or visible progress our yoga practice can bring.

And just to say, you may not always feel like you’re progressing in yoga, physical or otherwise, and that’s okay. Whether that’s due to an injury, or not having the time, energy or mental capacity to spend on your practice, life happens! It all comes back to acceptance, and being kind to yourself, the true lifelong journey. 💘

I would love to know:

• How have you noticed progress in your yoga practice?

• Or, have you noticed any impacts that your yoga practice has had on your life that aren’t necessarily physical?

Elli 🧚🌟