Question

I enjoyed Tara`s “Make Space” article, thank you.  I need your help!

I’ve had many periods in my life that are full of tension, and all my space was solid. rigid, and full.

Running and going to the gym has helped me in the past to make space, to be airy, fresh, and to lose that weight. I know it wasn’t just by burning kilos, but by opening up all the solid tension in my body, mind, and spirit.

But I did it too much. I exaggerated the effort.  I got aggressive, and started injuring myself. I went from addiction to the gym and running, straight into mega-burnout.

I spent several months tired, in bed. I lost my fitness. I gained 30+ pounds. My thyroid doesn`t work anymore and my cortisol levels are very high. I used up all my motivation resources, and now I’m empty.

What should i do? Everything seems to be hard now. Even yoga, running, climbing, cycling, longboarding, all things I loved.

I need to move, but my body is drained of power. I know I should start where I am, but where I am is lying in bed powerless. I know I should ignore fitness trends, diet fads, and yoga gurus, but I want a lean, fit body and mind. Please help me!

Thank you, and lots of love from Austria.

Answer

It sounds like you have a good sense about yourself, and a good sense that aggressive approaches to health and fitness haven’t worked.

A good beginning from here, for almost anything, is feeling. Often when people don’t feel good, the first natural thing is to move away from feeling, using every strategy possible. Shutting down into sleep, chasing every distraction, or clicking into “giving to others” mode are all ways of steering clear of feeling you. It sounds like you already know this doesn’t help.

This is a good place to begin in your yoga.  Not pushing and struggling against where you are, but moving easily right where you are.  You know you need to move, and you’re right.  So move, easily.  Move and feel into every inch of everything you can move and feel. Get into you.

Then, respond to what you feel. Every time you move, every day.  Believe what you feel, and respond to it.

All this moving and feeling time is practice for connecting to your body.  When you can hold that connection, it’s easier to be a great health-care provider for you.  You’ll know what to do for you, better than anyone else.  You’ll be the world’s greatest expert on you.  It begins with this feeling time, and practice with responding to what you feel.

In case useful, you can find some more writing here

a) I’m tired of punishing myself for gaining weight, can yoga help?

b) I need to lose weight, please help! 

I hope this gives you a good place to begin today.  Just keep interested in you.  You can do it!

-Mike

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Strala combines the movement and healing wisdom of tai chi with the form vocabularies of yoga, tai chi, qigong, and Traditional Chinese and Japanese Medicine, to help people release stress, move easily through challenge, and live radiantly inspiring lives.

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