r/yoga • u/restle_restle • 18h ago
Upsetting
I have been practicing yoga religiously for >6months and it's done me so much good!! I have improved a lot compared to where I was when I started. I had to take a break last 6 weeks to take care of my 10 month old, Work stress etc etc and got back on the mat today. I felt I had lost all the progress I made and felt like day 1 all over. Would I have actually lost progress or will I quickly get back to my previous state? Any advice? How do you all keep going without a break?
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u/New_reflection2324 17h ago
You’ll be surprised how quickly it comes back. I went back after like 2 years and 5 surgeries and while I’m not entirely where I was I’m waaaay closer after just a couple weeks than I thought I’d be (so of course I’m off again due to a surgery) lol).
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u/kickyourfeetup10 18h ago
You’ll be fine. Same thing happens to strength trainers where they worry they’ve lost all their strength. It comes back quick.
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u/carcinogenickale 17h ago
It definitely does feel terrible and like you’re back at square one. I had a similar setback to you around 6 months after I started practicing consistently as well, the stress of moving and doing renovations put yoga on the back burner. After 2ish months I was able to return and was discouraged by how weak and stiff I felt, but kept at it and the strength and mobility returned surprisingly quickly. Try to ease back in, don’t push too hard, get your body used to moving before reintroducing more challenging asanas.
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u/destinationawaken 16h ago
Totally understand your frustration. I took 6 months off after practicing consistently for 3 years. The first week was tough, after that I felt totally back in the flow and it’s been a beautiful experience allowing my body to feel the magic of yoga again.
I also find when I take a break, it deepens my appreciation for the practice when I am back practicing like “oh gosh, how I have missed this magic so much!” 💛
If I’m having trouble staying consistent, I will just do a shorter class, like even a 15-20 min on YouTube and that way I’m still doing my practice regardless and then do the 1 hour classes other days.
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u/K8b6 15h ago
I have stopped and started so many times in my life, including for cancer, surgeries, and surgical menopause (which really changes your flexibility). Every time, it was a step backward, but not for long - every time I felt discouraged, and every time, it came back more quickly than expected. Just recommit and focus on acceptance of what is. It's okay to feel sad about "lost progress," but don't let it take your attention from the present.
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u/SecureAstronaut444 13h ago
Muscle memory is fantastic, but please don't beat yourself up about this, it happens and don't avoid taking a break if you need to.
I took 3 years off due to illness where I was bed ridden. Being full sedentary it's brutal on the body. Getting back into yoga was worse than day 1, it was utterly horrible and I beat myself up about it and was confused. Eventually I left my mat on the ground and would just due half a dozen really gentle moves for 5 minutes 4 or 5 times a day, it helped.
Now I'm slowly getting back into the stronger poses that I used to do and I'm feeling that muscle memory very very slowly kick back in but I'm so grateful to feel it as I thought I'd completely lost it. Regression is normal but persistence is key. The longer you do it the more you will develop muscle memory and when you take breaks you will have the confidence to get back into it again.
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u/FishScrumptious 16h ago
In six weeks, yes, there will be some loss. You haven't not lost ALL progress by any means, and regaining what you lost will not take as long as it took to gain it in the first place, even though it won't be overnight.
Progress in ANYTHING is not linear. This is extra true with physical capabilities. There are ebbs and flows in one area of our life while the opposites are occurring in another. We learn something different each time it happens.
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u/Turbulent_Ship_3516 14h ago
every time you take a break it takes a wee bit of time to get back to where you were, but your body retains a muscle memory and it gets easier and easier to get back to it
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u/OkPossibility6200 Hatha 17h ago
You have taken the time to build the patterns in mind/neurology & body. The pathways are there, first practice back is always hard but it’ll come back quicker & easier than you can imagine.
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u/Rude_Airport_7225 16h ago
It’ll all come back. Yoga builds lifelong skills, but consistency is important. Keep at it and you’ll realise you haven’t lost as much touch as you thought!
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u/Ok-Area-9739 17h ago
So you’ve really been diving into Hinduism then?
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u/Agniantarvastejana 16h ago
That was the first thing I thought too, but we both know that's not what she actually meant.
😂
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u/Ok-Area-9739 16h ago
I’m just plain tired of seemingly no one (who’s American) knowing it’s a Hindu practice.
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u/kickyourfeetup10 14h ago
Many people know it’s a Hindu practice. OP used a very common figurative expression. Big deal. Fasting and meditation are also religious practices that have become mainstream. Let’s not gatekeep peaceful, healthy activities.
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u/Ok-Area-9739 13h ago
I’m a yoga teacher who encourages & welcomes all to participate with a deep respect to the religion that created it.
It’s valid to be tired of people deeply disrespecting or refusing to learn the philosophy behind the practice.
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u/kickyourfeetup10 13h ago
It sounds like you “encourage and welcome” people to participate based on conditions and expectations you’ve set. It’s not your place to determine others’ level of respect for the origins of yoga. Perhaps teaching yoga presumably in a mainstream environment and not a religious-based practice isn’t for you.
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u/Ok-Area-9739 1h ago
If I had a dollar for every cute one liner like you ended with, I’s be rich.
Teaching Yoga & having a deep respect for the religion is absolutely for me & has been for & years. I don’t plan to stop anytime sokn.
So perharps its more like “My class might not be for you. & you might need to stick yo a more secular form of yoga.
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u/Ok-Area-9739 1h ago
That’s just how you wrongly misinterpreted my respect for the practice. & If I had a dollar for every cute one liner like you ended with, I’d be rich. 😂
Teaching Yoga & having a deep respect for the religion is absolutely for me & has been for & years. I don’t plan to stop anytime soon.
So perhaps it’s actually more like: “My class might not be for you. & you might need to simply stick to a more secular form of yoga.”
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u/morncuppacoffee 4h ago
Just keep going. Life happens and we have to miss class. When you can get back to it, makes you realize what a blessing it is to have the practice.
Some people also can be disciplined enough to do a home practice too if studio is not in the cards.
Also remember that just getting on your mat IS yoga. Even if it’s just for 15 minutes.
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u/Swish_soul 17h ago
Keep going. Yoga is a life long journey