How can I stick to yoga when it feels useless and like I’m not releasing anything from my body?

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I’ve tried some yoga on the site and just feel frustrated, feeling like I should be doing something more productive. I can see how the focus could maybe improve my calmness temporarily, but I can’t see it really releasing anything from anywhere in the body.

Again, this is just a process and it’s a practice. But I know that you feel like it’s a waste, but continue to go through this process because as you can regulate your body, the tension, the tightness, if your body wants to move, and really it’s allowing it. Let me just give you an example. There are times where I have clients who have a punching bag because they want to let out their anger. It seems like your body’s got it stuck inside. I think it’s wanting to release anger, it’s wanting to release this tension. And instead it’s feeling that’s a waste of time, why are you doing that? Continue to listen to your body and you may discover it needs movement in the tension. That would be my suggestion.

Now the other thing is, again, there’s usually a core belief, and I’ve said this over and over in some of my classes, usually trauma is a belief about self or about the world around us or about my husband or wife. The trauma is that belief, that self-belief, I’m not enough, unlovable, I have found that when we work with clients and dealing with that stuck or trapped belief, that when it is released or changed or altered that some of that body tension is also released. So that’s a second way that I have found to be effective in how to release some of the trapped trauma. Anyways, so those are a couple of suggestions. I would stick with the yoga, even if you feel like it’s a waste of time, you might continue to journal, but you might also need to deal with that core belief that is making you feel like you’re stuck or trapped.

Anyway, great question. I’m not trying to be difficult. No, you’re not being difficult at all. It is a process and I would encourage you just to keep working through that, but listen to what your body is telling you to do. What is my body wanting to do? What does it need to release? I’ve actually had clients punching a pillow, letting go of that internal tension, because usually there’s something angry, I’m angry. Are you allowed to be angry? Are you allowed to express that? If so, get that punching bag, get a pillow, let out that tension, and you might find yourself bawling or crying. You will likely know that you’ve released some of it with tears. That’s what I’ve experienced as a therapist.

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