-1.png){kind=logo}
I know how unsettling change can feel. Even when it’s something small like a shift in routine, a new environment, a change on the yoga schedule or a different way of doing things, it can create resistance. And when it’s something big? That’s when the mind really starts to fight back. I’ve had moments where I clung to what was familiar, even when I knew deep down it was time to move forward. That’s the thing about change, it’s inevitable, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Whether we welcome it or resist it, life keeps moving, reshaping itself in ways we can’t always predict.
Yoga teaches us how to navigate this reality. It reminds us that change isn’t something to fear but that it’s part of the natural flow of existence.
One of the core teachings in yoga philosophy is that everything is in constant motion. In Sanskrit, this is known as parinamavada; the understanding that life is a continuous process of transformation. Nothing stays the same, not our bodies, not our thoughts, not even the world around us.
- The breath as a teacher: Every inhale is new, every exhale is a release. Each breath is proof that change happens in every moment, whether we notice it or not.
- The body as a reflection of impermanence: if you’ve practiced yoga for a while, you know how poses feel different from day to day. Some days you feel open and strong, others you feel tight or tired. Your body is never exactly the same, and that’s okay.
- The mind and its attachments: In The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, attachment (raga) and aversion (dvesha) are described as causes of suffering. We hold onto what feels comfortable, and we push away what feels uncertain. But yoga teaches us that real peace comes when we stop fighting change and learn to flow with it instead.
Even though we know change is inevitable, we often resist it. Why?
- Uncertainty feels uncomfortable: The unknown can feel scary because it takes us out of our comfort zone.
- We attach to the familiar: Even if something no longer serves us, letting go can feel like a loss.
- Fear of losing control: Change reminds us that we’re not always in charge of what happens.
And yet, when we look back, we see that change is often what brought us growth, strength, and unexpected opportunities. I think you can relate :)
Yoga doesn’t just teach us flexibility in the body, it teaches us how to be flexible in life. Every time we step onto the mat, we practice adapting, adjusting, and accepting what is.
- Savasana: The ultimate practice of surrender. At the end of each yoga class, we lie down and let go of effort, of expectation, of control.
- Transitions between poses: We often focus on the postures, but the spaces in between, the transitions, are just as important. They teach us to move with attention and ease, even in uncertainty.
- Meditation and presence: When we sit in stillness, we witness thoughts come and go. We realize that even emotions are temporary, always shifting, always changing.
The next time you find yourself resisting change, take a deep breath. Notice what’s happening inside you. Maybe your body tenses, maybe your mind starts racing. But what if, just for a moment, you softened instead? What if, instead of fighting change, you allowed yourself to move with it?
Yoga teaches us that nothing is permanent, neither the discomfort of transition nor the ease of stability. The only constant is movement. And the more we learn to work with it rather than against it, the more at peace we become.
So whatever change you’re facing right now, big or small, chosen or unexpected, know that you are not alone in it. Just like in yoga, you can breathe through it, stay present, and trust that something new is unfolding. Yoga has been my greatest support in letting go of resistance to change. A consistent practice is like a promise, it will support you too.
Namas-té,
Ine
