HEALING FROM GRIEF + MANAGING BACK PAIN WITH DAILY YOGA
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU
SET YOURSELF A GOAL
TO DO YOGA EVERYDAY
FOR A WHOLE YEAR?
This is the goal that Anthony recently set himself and over the past few months, we’ve watched him make massive gains in his physical practice and go from someone who felt like a self proclaimed ‘hot sweaty newbie lacking in flexibility’ to calm and confident in inversions and consistent in his daily practice.
But surface level gains aren’t really what inspired Anthony to set himself a daily practice goal.
Despite struggling with debilitating back pain and dealing with the loss of his dad recently - Anthony has shown us that with regular practice and the support of a strong community, you can move from feeling ‘stuck’ in life to making progress and feeling a sense of hope.
Q: Hey Anthony - you’ve been absolutely nailing it with a daily practice recently - can you share how you started your yoga journey?
A: My first yoga class was a beginner Hatha class at 'Yoga in Daily Life' at their Annandale ashram in around 2005, I was struggling to find non-opiate painkiller ways to deal with a back injury and severe chronic pain caused by surfing, years of labouring, and working as a chef. A friend suggested yoga, so I started going regularly, and it was very helpful.
“Yoga makes me feel hopeful and like I have a feeling of agency over my own health and wellbeing”
Q: What are some unexpected benefits or things that you love about yoga in general (or the studio) that have come as a surprise?
A: I have found that the best thing for me about Yoga is that it makes me feel hopeful and calm and like I have agency when it comes to my mental and physical well-being.
Q: Can you describe a specific life experience or physical challenge that you’ve faced and how yoga has helped overcome it?
A: I have struggled with severe disabling chronic pain since 2002. My back hurts pretty much all the time and it can seem like a hopeless situation. When I do yoga regularly my pain levels are reduced to a tolerable level.
In February my father passed away from pancreatic cancer and I went through a real low period... I decided I needed to do something for myself and set a goal to do yoga everyday (and swim laps most days). I am feeling good again and finding myself able to do inversions and harder poses that I was never able to do in the past.
“I went through a real low period... I decided I needed to do something for myself and set a goal to do yoga everyday”
Q: What are some changes you’ve noticed in your yoga practice compared to when you first started?
A: For me, coming to yoga class every day has had all the expected benefits of improvement in mental and physical well-being... lately, it has been getting much easier (except for handstand as I have a missing thumb tendon and a badly healed smashed knuckle on the first finger of my left hand).
Q: What is your favourite class type and why?
A: I like the strong vinyasa classes as I enjoy the challenge and opportunity to build strength and increase my flexibility... Younga Yoga is the only place I have been to that teaches inversions which I really enjoy due to their challenging nature.
“Coming to yoga class every day has had all the expected benefits of improvement in mental and physical well-being... ”
Q: What are your future goals with your yoga practice and how could Younga Yoga support you in achieving them?
A: I am really looking forward to seeing how I feel after one year of Vinyasa class every day combined with swimming laps almost every day... I’m also looking forward to doing yoga in lots of different countries and cities.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is just starting their yoga journey?
A: Just push through the initial hardship of feeling like a sweaty and confused newbie! 😂 Keep coming to class several times a week and after a month your life will be better. After a while coming to class will become something you look forward to like a swim in the ocean in summer... rather than an exhausting and daunting chore.
🙏🏾 Thanks for sharing your powerful story Anthony - your persistence on the mat has been amazing to watch and we can’t wait to catch up with you later down the track for more insights!
can you relate?
Do you have back pain or an injury? Email us to enquire about our private yoga lessons or exercise physiology. Alternatively enrol in a beginners course.