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No Grunting in Yoga!

You know how there's no crying in football? Well, there should be no grunting in yoga.

I have been practicing yoga for a decade now, and find myself horrified when I hear men and women grunting in agony in the middle of a yoga class. Worse than this, I get even more frustrated when I read news articles discussing how yoga can cause injuries. Of course it can cause injuries when people that haven't stretch in years come into a practice and assume that they will be as flexible as a yogi who has been practicing for years!

Being a great runner or cyclist doesn't mean that you will necessarily walk into a yoga class and be the "best" in the class. Actually, you may be the least flexible and feel very out of place for a while. There are poses that people do that make you think that they have no bones in their bodies! The ability to keep your eyes focused on yourself is not something that comes naturally for most, but can be cultivated with some effort.

Yoga instructors stress that yoga is noncompetitive, yet it often falls victim to selective hearing when our competitive mentality takes over. It is our competitive, instant gratification mentality that makes us twist and turn a little extra though wincing like they're being tortured. The problem is learning how to really focus on oneself and not compare ourselves to others when that's what most of us do in every other aspect in our lives.

I can't say that I don't sink a little deeper or raise my leg a little higher when I'm in the front, but I try to keep it in control. Yoga is about being where you're at and being OK with that, as hard as it may be to accept. It also voices, however, that with patience and due diligence you usually will reach your "goals."

For each noticeable improvement, there has usually been weeks, months or even years of work that have lead you to that point. Each day you are getting a bit more flexible, a bit stronger and a bit "better" at the postures. Then, one day, you are doing a posture that you thought only Gumbi on muscle relaxers could do, and you don't know how it happened. The surrendering to where you're at put you in the ultimate place to improve. Going against the grain rarely works, and in yoga it can leave you injured.

Yoga is supposed to be rejuvenating; a safe-haven from the world of blood, sweat and tears. This is why the grunting is disturbing. Take it easy in class! You can push yourself to improve, but not to the point of nearly tearing a muscle or causing a permanent injury. Leave the world at the door and have a wonderful and pain-free practice!

Learn more about this author, Crystal Brown.
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