Yoga; A Holistic Approach to Building Strength

When you think of the word “strength”, what springs to mind? For most of us, it’s physical strength – strong muscles, lifting heavy weights or being able to hold advanced Yoga poses. It will mean something different to each of us and in this blog post we are going to explore what strength truly means in Yoga, how it can transform you physically and mentally and why it’s so much more than just holding a difficult pose!

According to the Oxford language dictionary, strength is “the quality or state of being physically strong” or “the capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure”. It’s not something you see from the outside, but how you feel on the inside.

We often think about strength, but what about weakness? Is weakness showing emotions? Or being physically fragile, not voicing your opinion or asking for help? People see themselves and others as weak or strong for loads of different reasons.

“It is within you that you will find the strength you need”

Strength is a quality that most of us aspire to have. It gives us the courage to adapt and persevere when things are tough, it helps us set boundaries, trust ourselves and speak our truth even when everyone disagrees and our voice is shaking.

Strength is often linked to other personal qualities like positivity, commitment, success, reliability and ambition, because strength is a skill that helps opens doors to opportunities in life.

Physical strength in Yoga

The physical poses, the asana, are usually the first thing that comes to mind when you think about strength in Yoga. From Downward Facing Dog to the Warrior poses, these physical poses challenge your bodies in unique ways, helping you build strength, flexibility and balance.

One of the secrets to building physical strength in Yoga is proper alignment. When your body is correctly aligned in a pose, you engage the right muscles, reduce the risk of injury and maximise the benefits of the pose. The strength you gain from this alignment doesn’t just apply on the mat, but carries over into you everyday life too.

Physical strength is the magic key to access your inner strength

My journey with strength started as a physical one, in my first couple of years practicing Yoga. I’ve never really been sporty or competitive, I never really committed to a regular gym session so physical strength wasn’t anything I had ever really had. But through Yoga, I noticed I was physically much stronger in my body than I had ever been before and not in an obvious-muscle-kind-of-way, but in a long & lean way. I noticed I was less tired after a class, I could hold poses for longer without my legs shaking and I was feeling stronger and more energised off the mat too.

Later, came the changes in my mind, I started noticing my thoughts and emotions, I started to feel more centred and balanced and I noticed that I wasn’t reacting to things that previously would have triggered me. I realised I now had developed my inner strength, through my regular physical Yoga practice!

You know Yoga builds physical strength, but what about other types of strength?

In Yoga, strength goes beyond just the physical and touches the depths of your mind and spirit. Through Pranayama (deep breathing) and Mindfulness Meditation, you learn to quieten the constant chatter in your mind, which in turn helps to strengthen your mental resilience. Over time, your body starts to handle stress, anxiety and life’s challenges better.

Mental Strength

The mental strength developed in Yoga becomes a valuable tool for managing stress – how do you deal with stress that happens in your life? Developing positive daily habits like Pranayama (breathing techniques) and Mindfulness practices can help you build mental muscle, help you stay calm in high-pressure situations and help you make better decisions.

A really powerful (and easy) way to develop mental strength, is by practicing gratitude. A daily gratitude practice can help build mental resilience, boost your self-esteem and help you to see things in a more positive light. It’s such a simple exercise to do – start by thinking of 3 things you are grateful for everyday, (when you first wake up or last thing at night is a good time for this) it could be people, material possessions, your health, the weather -anything you feel gratitude towards! You could even keep a gratitude journal and write down the things you are grateful for each day.

Emotional Strength

The self-awareness and self-acceptance you develop through Yoga empowers you to be mindful of what you are thinking, any emotions you are feeling and allows you to recover from them. You learn to be kinder to yourself & others too.

For example, you may find yourself feeling anxious on a regular basis. By practicing Yoga and learning to be mindful, you start to become aware that anxiety is you “go-to” emotion. You then start to realise that you have a tendency to assume the worst case scenario is going to happen. A connection like this can help us understand our anxiety, which often takes away it’s power and helps us to feel more in control. This is one of the reasons why Yoga is so powerful – it can actually help you change the way you think and how you feel!

Inner Strength

Yoga teaches us patience. Progress in Yoga is often slow and subtle, but it’s these small, consistent steps that build inner strength. As you learn to accept where you are on your Yoga journey without judgement, you develop an inner strength that extends far beyond the mat and it’s this inner strength that drives you forwards towards your goals & dreams and gives you the power and courage to make decisions.

When you reach a certain pose that you have been working towards in your Yoga practice, this can give you a huge sense of achievement – boosting your self esteem. This progression in the practice can really give you an inner confidence, helping you to trust your decisions and believe in your abilities and this confidence is easily transferred off the mat and into your everyday life too!

Our physical, mental & emotional strength are all undeniably linked

In Yoga, strength takes on a multi-dimensional form. It’s not just about the physical strength to hold a pose; it’s about the mental resilience to face life’s challenges with calmness & composure. It’s about building a strong connection between your mind and your body.

As you continue your Yoga journey, remember that strength isn’t an endpoint – it’s a continuous, ever-evolving process. Whether you’re working on your physical strength or nurturing your mental resilience, Yoga offers a path to becoming your strongest, most authentic self.

So next time you step onto your Yoga mat, embrace the opportunity to discover strength in it’s truest sense – a strength that radiates from the inside out, enriching every aspect of your life.

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