Growing Pains on the Path of Yoga
By Julianne Serpa
When I was 9 years old I woke up one day with aching knees. I didn’t injure myself, but I felt something was off and was frustrated there was nothing “wrong” with me. The pain bugged me for weeks. I turned to my parents for comfort…
Dad offered his sense of humor: “Say hi to your knee!” I fell for it – Heinie! Giggles evaporated my pain instantly, but it was temporary.
Mom offered what I accepted as a perfectly reasonable explanation: “It’s Growing Pains. It will pass.” With that in mind, I didn’t worry so much, and I looked forward to getting taller. Turns out, she was right – it did pass, and my pants turned into highwaters!
There are many Growing Pains on the path of yoga.
I can’t recall anyone ever warning me about this, or maybe I wasn’t paying attention — when I first stepped onto my mat over 25 years ago I was just there to work out and feel good, after all.
We were never meant to walk the path alone.
There are many sources of comfort to be found in the company of skilled teachers and the Sangha. Some people receive the grace of a living or mystical guru and feel wholly supported by the invisible hand of the Divine without question. (I envy them.)
Growing Pains of yogic transformation ebb and flow,
like the contractions of childbirth. It often starts in the physical body and sends slow motion shockwaves out to all the aspects of your life. Perhaps these effects even ripple beyond your life, to ancestors that came before you, and onward to future generations.
Yoga will change you, and then you will need to change the yoga that you do.
Recognizing the transformation is occurring and deciding whether or not to nurture it is a personal decision. As you become more attuned to your needs, sadhana and self-care may take on a whole new look and meaning.
Some people grow and change with little pain and struggle.
Perhaps they are especially resilient or blessed. I don’t think that’s the case for most, and certainly not for me. Swami Kripalu offered these words of warning: A significant number of earnest spiritual seekers take up the practice of yoga. Unfortunately many stop because exactly the right things happen.
A seed cannot sprout unless it cracks open. Ouch!
A caterpillar cannot transform to a butterfly without first marinating in its own goo. Eww!
When I was a kid I wanted to be a doctor when I grew up, but nothing worked out the way I planned. Yoga helped my inner compass come back online to guide me out of the “gu” (Sanskrit term for darkness or ignorance) back to the healing work I always wanted to do, but in a way I never could have imagined as a practitioner of yoga therapy and Ayurvedic medicine.
Going back to school at 40 is terrifying to me – but I’ve been trying to think of the terror like what you feel on a rollercoaster – it’s a thrilling ride and I’m learning to trust the support that holds me. I’m willing to take the chance so I can live the Pranakriya mantra: Become More Fully Alive.
Contact julianne@sapperspirit.com
Instagram @sapperspirit
