Build strength and resilience

‘On the other side of a storm is the strength that comes from having navigated through it. Raise your sail and begin’ 

Gregory S. Williams – author

In one of my previous blogs I talked about emotional resilience. Today I want to discuss physical resilience and how yoga helps develop the muscle strength that can make one feel physically strong.

Katie Hurley, of the Resilience Resource Center, describes physical resilience as the body’s ability to adapt to challenges, maintain stamina and strength and recover quickly and efficiently. It’s a person’s ability to function and recover when faced with illness, accidents or other physical demands. She also explains that physical resilience plays an important role in healthy aging, specifically as people encounter medical issues and physical stressors. She advices that healthy lifestyle choices, building connections, making time to rest and recover, deep breathing and engaging in enjoyable activities all play a role in building physical resilience. 

On a personal level, I find comfort in noticing the muscle tone in my own body that comes from practicing yoga on a regular basis. It makes me feel physically strong and in control of my life because it gives me a sense of independence as I grow older. It takes time, self-control and discipline to practice regularly. As the quote states, facing the hardship head on and navigating through it will bring the feeling of satisfaction and achievement in the long run. So, it is always a case of starting and before you know you will notice changes in your body that will give the strength to continue. With it will come the physical resilience we are talking about here.

At Ageless-yoga we invite you to join us and if you feel you have tried and failed before, think about the wise words of Nelson Mandela when he said:

‘The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.’