Some thoughts for Thoughtful Thursdays: Why is weight so important to people who join fitness classes? After all, in a fitness class (yoga or otherwise) you have lift, balance, move like crazy, push, pull, stand up, squat down…stuff whic…h underweight or overweight people will not be able to do. Underweight and overweight people keep on falling sick, they don’t move well, they frequently have problems concentrating, and their internal systems (digestive, metabolic, respiratory) usually don’t work right. But time and time again women come up to me saying they want to lose weight. After some weeks they say yes they’ve lost inches, but no they WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT. In this quest for their version of the perfect weight they fail to notice that they are breathing better, they are more flexible, they’re happier, they can hold the plank longer and are closer to touching their toes. And what’s more, a lot of these women aren’t even over-weight! I don’t get it. If you were to fall sick tomorrow, you would lose weight without doing anything. But to be able to touch your toes, or do the chakrasana or natrajasana, you’ve put in hard and consistent work. The flexibility and balance didn’t come easy…so then why are we so fixated on a particular weight??? Shift your perspective. Stop thinking about your weight and glorify in all your body can do.
