Yoga has played a significant role in my life, serving as exercise, discipline, refuge, and teacher. It has provided me with a safe space to connect with my body and find peace through non-doing. Starting a yoga class with a mind full of thoughts and anxieties, I always found that by the end, those thoughts were quieted, and I could relax in a way I never thought possible.
Above all, yoga has been my medicine. It not only helped heal my physical ailments, such as scoliosis, but also addressed the deeper wounds of trauma that had shaped my body, mind, and soul. As my yoga practice evolved, it transformed from a physical routine into a tool for emotional and spiritual growth.
Here are some valuable lessons I learned along my yoga journey that may also help you find healing through your own practice.
Finding Trauma In The Body
Growing up, I carried deep-seated trauma that manifested not only in my mind but also in my body. Scoliosis twisted my spine, while the stresses of family life left me tight, anxious, and burdened. Yoga initially served as a form of exercise to relieve physical pain, but beneath the surface, I sought a way to make peace with a body that felt broken and a life that felt heavy.
Lesson 1: Listen to your body. Pain and tension are signals from your body. Pay attention to where you feel contracted or unstable, and reflect on what your body is trying to communicate.
Taking The First Steps
Yoga initially provided physical relief for me. As I stretched and moved through poses, I found relief for my lower back pain and tightness. However, I soon discovered a deeper connection between my physical practice and my emotional well-being. With each yoga session, I noticed a slowing of my breath, a softening of my nervous system, and a reduction in my need to control everything. Yoga was teaching me how to let go.
Lesson 2: Start with the body, but notice the breath. While yoga may begin as a physical practice, focus on your breath as an anchor. Healing starts with the union of body and breath.
Going Beyond The Physical
As my yoga practice deepened, I began to see how it mirrored my life off the mat. I recognized patterns of pushing too hard for perfection both in my practice and in my daily life. Yoga encouraged me to soften where I was rigid and strengthen where I was collapsing, reflecting the balance needed in both my physical and emotional well-being.
Lesson 3: Let the mat be your mirror. Observe your tendencies and behaviors on the mat. Use your practice as a safe space to explore new ways of being.
Finding Steadiness And Ease
Teaching yoga reinforced the lessons I needed to learn the most. Guiding students to find balance and ease reminded me of the same truths I needed to embody in my own life. Through my work as a physical therapist, I understood that back pain was often a reflection of how we carried ourselves in the world – too rigid or too yielding. Yoga provided a pathway to restore balance.
Lesson 4: Teach what you need to learn. Sharing your healing journey, whether formally or informally, reinforces the lessons you are working to embody.
Silence, Space And Transformation
The most profound transformation for me occurred in the solitude of the desert. Surrounded by silence and vast openness, I let go of structured sequences and allowed my body to move freely. In that liberating space, I realized that yoga was not just about poses; it was about freedom, presence, and wholeness.
Lesson 5: Create space for free practice. Occasionally release the structure and flow freely with your body’s movements. This form of practice can be both healing and liberating.
Healing Is About Living Fully
Today, yoga remains my anchor, guiding me to live fully and embrace my purpose. Through the integration of steadiness and ease, strength and softness, stability and freedom, I have learned that healing is not about erasing the past or perfecting the body. It is about embracing our imperfections, living authentically, and trusting the wisdom that emerges from balancing discipline with grace.
In conclusion, healing is a journey of transformation from trauma to resilience, rigidity to flow, and brokenness to wholeness. By living this narrative daily, both on and off the mat, we can embody the true essence of healing and self-discovery.
Author Bio
Rachel Krentzman PT, C-IAYT, MBA, is a yoga and physical therapist and certified Hakomi psychotherapist. She specializes in personal healing through somatic therapy and yoga. With a background in overcoming scoliosis and damaged discs, she has developed a powerful therapy that has helped numerous individuals worldwide. Rachel currently resides in Israel with her family and is the author of several books on yoga therapy.
For more information about Rachel Krentzman and her work, visit happybackyoga.com.