Building tolerance

What does it mean to be tolerant?
Tolerant of what?
 
We all have individual tolerance levels for a wide range of things. It could be for physical challenge, annoying teenagers, joint mobility, stress or quiet pauses, you get the idea.
 
Finding your tolerance level is very individual, but also very adaptable. Our range of tolerance can increase in all directions.
 
Our yoga practice is in part, building up our range of tolerance. Taking us out of our comfort zone into new areas or exploration and development.

Being comfortable with discomfort
We can build our tolerance of discomfort. We invite the body, breath and focusing capacity to stretch beyond their current range. Being able to tolerate discomfort is worth developing a familiarity with. We can't always be comfortable. Our lives can be designed to be as comfortable as possible, and this can make us complacent and we may lose resilience, and perhaps not feel as vibrant and confident.

Feeling comfortable might be hard
We may also need to build our ability to tolerate comfort and ease. Some of us are so used to being busy, rushing around, feeling tense and active, that actually relaxing is a very uncomfortable place to find ourselves.
 
It might feel pointless, and we experience great aversion to stopping and relaxing - even though it might be exactly what we need. Our usual drive wants to keep us going all the time. Savasana (lying rest) and the more restorative postures invite us to tolerate slowing down, stopping, becoming still, noticing things that we perhaps might rather not. Building up our tolerance to this gradually can have enormous benefit and offer great potential to then experience the more subtle aspects of yoga practice. 

Feel resistance and do it anyway
 Don't worry if it feels uncomfortable going to either end of your range. Encountering resistance is how you will build your range of tolerance. That is the zone you need to hang out in to get used to it. 
 
Our yoga practice can be a place to build tolerance in all directions. The highs, the lows and the comfortable middles.
 
If you are a busy person with lots of physical demands on you, the challenge might be to do less, take a softer approach to your asana and breathwork, take on the challenge of prioritising a different mode of being.
 
If you are pretty chilled out and relaxed, you might try invigorating things a little and take on an extra challenge. Extend your breath in your postures, add in 10% more extension through your limbs. Find a new layer of practice to keep you actively engaged and not drifting through it going through the same motions as last time.
 
Choose wisely, in a way that might feel counterintuitive as it isn't your usual mode, so that your tolerance range is as broad and resilient as possible in all directions. 
 
See below for a couple of home practice suggestions to take you out of your comfort zone. 
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Read on:
 
| Book Talk on "Yoga as Pilgrimage" with Ranju Roy, 7th July 2024 |
Join Ranju as he talks about his new book and brings it to life in person. There will also be time for questions too and he is happy to sign books :-)  
Books available to collect from the studio in advance of the talk, or on the day and costs £20.  
BOOK YOUR SPACE >
 
| FREE home practice videos to build your tolerance |
Practice challenge
A) For busy people who like a strong practice
Take the more gentle practice. It won't feel like your usual choice, it might feel too gentle. Do it anyway, do it every day for a week. See the effect of relaxing and doing less. It might surprise you.  
 
B) For those who like to practice gently
As long as it feels safe, do the 20 minute practice, use a slower breath length, and perhaps hold the poses for an extra breath to create extra challenge. Do it every day for a week. Notice the difference. 
 
Step outside your usual mode and increase your ability to tolerate a wider range of challenge. 
FREE VIDEOS > 

| Upcoming Summer Retreat Day in Bristol with Clara |
Take a pause from the busy-ness of life with a day of mindful yoga, breathwork, stillness, and relaxation.
 
Discover fresh approaches to postures using breathwork, mantra and intention. 
Relax, pause and revitalise your whole self right here in our beautiful Bishopston studio.
 
Suitable for everyone. A great toe in the water if your considering a retreat weekend with me. 
Refreshments and treats provided, bring along lunch.  
 
Sunday 15th September 2024
10:30am - 4:00pm
*EARLY-BIRD OFFER* >