Question: I shake a lot when I’m in some yoga poses. Boat pose is one of the worse. Is this normal or am I not doing the yoga poses right? Mandy
The Answer
The answer here is both simple and beautiful- you’re releasing on two levels, physically and emotionally. Yoga gives us the opportunity to really explore ourselves on the surface and dig deep below, and you, my friend, are living that truth!
Just like when a weight lifter flexes and unflexes his muscles while holding dumbbells, we are testing our bodies and challenging them to defend themselves. Especially when we hold poses for extended periods of time, we’re building strength. So, naturally, with time and practice, your strength will build up so shaking is eliminated and poses can be held for even longer.
Perhaps even cooler is the possibility of this shaking introducing the unknown to your mind. We hold our emotions and experiences in our bodies, and when we step into positions that are quite different than those we go into daily, we begin to explore things that may have been bottled up.
For some this is exciting, but for most it’s a scary and bizarre situation to be in, as we’re forced to let go of whatever was keeping us from opening up completely. Opening up past experiences is strange but extremely vital in order to find freedom and happiness.
Additional Tips
When your body begins to tremble and shake, instead of backing out and releasing the pose, stay in it. Breathe into your pain or discomfort or fear. Hang out with it and allow it the space to step into the open air.
Once you begin this transition, just like when we do it on the muscular level, we’re able to adjust and deal instead of running away. Dig deep and return to your strength. Aho!