I just completed my 13th class, and I feel tired and frustrated. I felt like I was progressing very rapidly, but in the last three classes or so I feel like I just can't break through anymore. I feel stuck. Did anyone else go through this? Does it subside? How do I get through this?

I think part of this frustration is my intense want to lose weight. I have been a yo-yo my whole life. Any words of encouragement or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Hi Nicole,

Your feelings and experiences are very common. Yoga is a lifelong journey and we often find that the challenges in our life, off the mat life, begin to surface when we practice. You've surpassed the 10 class mark, which is a GIANT accomplishment in itself. Congratulations! Just getting yourself to come to class is the first big hurdle, and you've proven to yourself that you can do that. Take a moment to breath, step back, and truly give yourself the gratitude you deserve.

You noticed immediate changes because you started a new routine with your body. By working in the heated environment, your body began to detoxify. You likely lost significant water weight and now your body is beginning to stabilize in the heat, it's working more efficiently. Things to consider while evaluating your progress include: How many times a week are you practicing? What are your eating habits? and Do you stay hydrated throughout the day? If you are committing consistently to at least 2-4 (maybe even more) times a week, you are eating lots of healthy foods (avoid processed foods and stick to the basics- fruits, veggies, whole grains) in reasonable portions, and you drink a lot of water throughout the day, you will continue to see changes in your body.

When I start to get frustrated or feel stuck, I think of my practice as my discipline. There are times in class that my mind begins to wander, I'm planning what to cook for dinner later or thinking about weekend plans. In those moments, I stop myself and remind myself to BE PRESENT. Soak up the moment, welcome the challenge of a particular pose rather than dread it, and remember that I always feel better leaving a class than I did when I came in.

Practicing yoga will enable you to change your life as long as you are open to the changes. When you find that you are resistant or frustrated with your yoga, welcome those moments, because then you know it's working! Those are the opportunities to reflect, clear out old thought patterns, and reevaluate your goals. It's an ever changing process, and as your body transforms, so naturally will your mind.

Patience, love, and gratitude for yourself and your experience.

Namaste

Nicole, what you are feeling is not unusual.

I can say that, as a veteran of 100's of classes, there are peaks and valleys, plateaus, extreme heights and occasional lows. Your body will go through constant changes, constant modification. Come to think of it, your mind and spirit will as well!

If what you got is all there is, that would be pretty sad, right? Now, there are plenty of times in your yoga future where you may feel you've gone as far as you can go, or the poses just don't get better. When those events occur, and I am sure they will, that is the time to re-focus on basics, from the soles of your feet up, from the tips of your upraised fingers down, and to become conscious of muscle movement and flexion, and of skeletal alignment, locating stresses and imbalances that restrict your advancement.

By doing these, by focusing on the small elements of the postures, your breathing, your focus, the symmetry of the poses and your mental aspect (and spiritual aspect), you may discover an endless path of expanding awareness, ability and knowledge.

omg, did I just write all that?

Anyhow, I hope this helps give another viewpoint to what you are experiencing.

Nicole! : )

Relax and go easy on yourself my dear. You have only been to 13 classes and Yoga is not a race. You are progressing a lot without realizing it, I can assure you! In fact, you might even be pushing yourself to progress too rapidly, which can be part of the problem.

Here is some perspective for you. I am just a couple weeks from getting my 100th class band. Through this journey, I have "progressed" only a little bit, and consider myself a lifetime Yoga "Beginner." I am perfectly fine with that. I have lost 40 pounds in the 1-1/2 years I have been practicing, and can do things now that I never could before on the mat. Most of my progress is measured in very fine "micro" improvements over time. Better body alignment, improvements at getting a TINY bit deeper into an asana (posture) than before, working more and more muscle groups at the same time than I did when I started. But from an impatient point of view, it could seem like I have not progressed at all. I still have to "sit out" a posture here and there due to exhaustion....I still can find myself winded by the time we get to the second set of triangle pose in the fire class....I still have plateaus and the occasional class where my body is just not cooperative! usually this is because I did not get enough sleep the night before, or because I arrived to class poorly hydrated.

The progress we make in Yoga cannot be measured as readily as one might in some other forms of exercise. The progress is very subtle because--let's face it--while yoga is very easy to begin, it is exceptionally difficult to master. If you are in a hurry, you are in the wrong mode of thinking. Yoga is a meditation as much as it is a form of exercise. Enjoy the discipline and focus that comes from it! Bottom line here is: Let go of your results expectations, and just have fun with the journey. The results WILL come, I can promise you that. : )

Hi Nicole -

Another thing to consider is that you are fairly new to your practice and your body is probably detoxing quite a bit (especially if you've also changed your eating habits along with it).

Detox symptoms usually always include moodiness and fatigue.

This too shall pass.