Controlling Fear in Your Practice

Yoga is learning the delicate balance between control and surrender.  In order to hold and flow from pose to pose without falling, we must exert a level of concentrated control. Yet in order to truly let our body move, release, and breathe, we must allow ourselves to surrender. Yoga practice is not just about physical postures; it’s also a journey of self-discovery that helps us confront and control our fears.

This balancing act of control and surrender is something that can make yoga difficult, especially for the beginner.

Calm Your Fears in Yoga Practice

Fear can creep into your yoga practice, stunting your progress or even halting it altogether.  Do not allow this to happen. 

Let’s say you’ve never attempted Camel Pose (or any of its modified versions), for fear of not being able to do it. You may say to yourself, “I’ll never be able to do that, why try?”

In this situation, you are allowing fear to control you, rather than the other way around.

Here is another example: let’s say you try a balancing pose such as a Tree Pose. However, you find yourself constantly tensing your body out of fear – which ultimately leads to falling. Controlling fear in your yoga practice allows you to explore new poses and deepen your connection to both body and mind.

This, again, is allowing fear to control you, rather than the other way around.

Yoga teaches that the best way to overcome your fear is through surrender and non-attachment. Do not allow yourself to be afraid of failure – go ahead and safely try modified versions of poses you haven’t tried yet. Do not allow yourself to become attached to an image of yourself perfectly executing a pose. Instead, allow yourself to do each pose exactly as you can do it today. Go with it and flow with it – take it as it comes.

Surrender and Relax

“Fear is excitement without the breath.” – Fritz Perls

Once you’ve let go of your fears and preconceived notions of what your yoga practice should or should not look like, it’s time to relax. The only way we can truly allow ourselves to stretch, tone the muscles, and avoid injury is by relaxing into each pose.

How Can We Do This? By Simply Breathing

It’s been said that “fear is excitement without the breath.”  When we become afraid, we tense up and our breathing becomes short and shallow. Consciously control the breath instead. Breathe deeply into each pose. With each breath in – make a mental check for areas of tension in the body. With each breath out, allow the tension to release.

Of course, we do not want to totally relax and flow over – so it’s important to maintain a level of bodily control amid our surrender to the pose. This balancing act is something that takes practice and time. It’s something we can only learn by practicing – not by reading, observing, or speaking with others. By learning to manage fear in your yoga practice, you can unlock your full potential and cultivate resilience both on and off the mat.

Before your next practice, take a moment to contemplate the balance between control and surrender.  Think about what fear and attachment may play in this matter. Work off this and allow yourself to learn through your experience. 200 Hour Teacher Training in Rishikesh, being a beginners program, you have to consciously develop it and when you enter the Advanced 300 Hour Teacher Training Course, you will see this naturally happening in yourself.

And remember: perfection is never the goal of yoga. Rather, the goal is simply to keep up, keep learning, and keep growing in your practice.

Conclusion

Learning the balance between control and surrender is essential in yoga, especially for beginners. Fear can hinder progress and lead to avoiding poses. To overcome fear, practice non-attachment and safely try modified versions of poses. Remember, perfection is not the goal of yoga, but rather, to keep growing and learning. Controlling fear in your yoga practice transforms challenges into opportunities for growth, enriching your journey toward mindfulness and balance.

For those interested in deepening their yoga journey, consider enrolling in a yoga teacher training program. Rishikul Yogshala, a leading Yoga school in Rishikesh, offers comprehensive courses like the 100 Hour Yoga Teacher Training In India, 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training In India, 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training In India, and 500 Hour Yoga Teacher Training India. These programs are designed to help you master your practice and share the transformative power of yoga with others.