Load = Growth: A step-parenting story

Apr 22

"You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice."

― Bob Marley

LOAD. You only build strength with load.
When I was in single-lady-dog-life, everything was manageable. My house was clean and organized. Everything in it’s right place. People would tell me how peaceful it felt. *content sigh*. I could knock off items on my to-do list like an adult playing a kids game at a carnival. And my biggest concern on the weekends was what to do with allllllllllll my free time. June and I would just wander around in the woods. (pssssstttt..... it was wonderful.)
Then. I got married. With 2 bonus kids. Suddenly, nothing was manageable. The sink was a perpetual leaning tower of dishes. Nothing was in its place because nothing HAD a place. Laundry was everywhere. On the floor, bathroom counter, piles by the bed. I was tripping over cars and crayons and Jenga blocks. My dog was eating Nerf darts, erasers, and bouncy balls. But you couldn’t find a tablet charger to save your life (and some days, a fully charged tablet would save your life). I could barely fit in a 12 minute meditation, forget about a two hour hike.
The load was exponentially heavier. And for about a year, I felt crushed by it.
But. I got stronger. With boundaries, time management, focus, productivity, communication, emotional resilience. And my life is richer and fuller because of it.
The same principle is true with physical strength. You only grow with increased load. And that’s why yoga isn't enough. Because you’re never increasing load. You’re only using your very familiar, very manageable, body weight.
When you add resistance bands or hand weights, you change the load. It’s challenging and humbling at first. Areas of weakness and disconnection are exposed. But you build bone and muscle grows.
If you want to learn how to adapt your yoga practice for more strength, I’ll teach a live webinar on Why Yoga Isn’t Enough to Build Strength (and what to do about it) next Thursday 4/24 at 11:30am PT. Here’s what you’ll learn:
Why yoga alone is not enough to build strength.
The real reason strength training feels intimidating (and how to get around it)
3 mistakes most people make when starting to build strength (this is why you hate it)
How to use the guiding principles of Asana Strong, a science-backed, yoga-inspired approach to begin building strength on your mat.
Can’t make it live? Sign up anyway and I’ll send you the replay.
Have a friend or family member who’s curious about strength but had trouble getting started? Forward them this email.
Many of us (myself included) were told that yoga could be our everything. Unfortunately it’s just not true. (I wish it were. I really do!) But, there are ways to bring strength to your yoga practice and use your yoga practice to build strength. The webinar will show you how.
May your practice have choice,
Alison