I bend so I don't break

“I bend so I don’t break. I’m sure you’ve heard this quote before. You’ve seen it on a mug or t-shirt. Maybe you’ve said it before. As a yogi, this quote means more than physically bending my body. It means being flexible both on and off the yoga mat. It means being flexible, and ok, with where I am today: mentally, physically and emotionally. It means being flexible with others and knowing that things don’t always go as expected.” I wrote these words for a social media post, and that same day, life happened. I felt pulled in a million directions, all at once and out of nowhere: work, motherhood, kindergarten facilitator, wife, yogi, friend, sister, daughter. I was urgently needed in all these roles. I quickly felt as if life was spiraling out of control and that I couldn’t grasp onto anything to stabilize. I was falling fast and hard into overwhelm. Woah! The exact lesson I was trying to teach was happening to me. I was breaking, not bending. How did this happen?

I let tasks and people run my day. I did not bend. I was not being flexible. I was not being present. I felt anxious and overwhelmed. As I spiraled, I tried desperately to grasp onto something, anything to make it stop.  

As humans, we are ever-evolving creatures and I believe we have to understand our fluidity in order to give ourselves, and others, grace. No one is perfect! I took a deep breath. I took another, and as I slowly breathed I began to realize what was happening: I was breaking, not bending. I made it known to myself, gave it a name, and was then able to see what had happened. I took a step back. I continued my breath practice of slowly breathing in and out of my nose and letting my torso expand on the inhales and relax on the exhales. I gave myself space to respond to my life and to take control of it once more. I dedicated myself to completing one task at a time – no matter what else was happening around me. I slowed down. My to-do list started shrinking as I slowly focused on one thing at a time: I made a snack for my children, I responded to emails, I made sure my son was logged in for his virtual class, I returned a phone call. I delegated. Each task became just that, a task, rather than a pressure. I was able to see the big picture, and breathe.

Later, I laughed! I had shared my “I bend so I don’t break” post with the world and then I didn’t bend. The experience reminded me that we are all human. That bending so you don’t break is always a work in progress. Not all days flow like water; some feel murky and sticky, and that is ok. As yogis, we continually practice flexibility, both on and off the yoga mat. That is why yoga is considered a practice. It is the practice of uniting the body and mind so that the lessons learned on the mat can be taken into life: to live more fully in the present moment, to breathe fully, to manage and alleviate physical and mental pains, and to bend so we don’t break.

P.S. Interested in guided breathwork, yoga, and meditation practices that help ease your body and mind when you feel overwhelmed? Check out our virtual membership.

Lindsay Coward, MPH
Corporate Yoga Instructor, Wellness Professional
Founder of Yoga Nut