My shoulders sound like the 4th of July. Like you are sitting on the National Mall watching the sky explode. Or kind of like Rice Krispies cereal – they snap, crackle, and pop. In a way, it’s sort of become my party trick, to see how loud I can crack them in front of my friends. It’s weird, but it’s become a habit of mine that I have been unable to break since high school, cracking my knuckles and joints uncontrollably. This blog is not about crepitus though, but rather about what I finally set out to do to make it stop.
For years, I have complained about my shoulder discomfort. I made my parents pay for doctors' visits and read all about the necessary physical therapy exercises I should do to lessen the problem. And yet, how many times did I do them? To say more than three times would be generous. The irony of this is that I often claim that one of my biggest pet peeves is when people complain about things that have viable solutions. So, on January 1, 2022, I decided this would be the year that I fully committed to a New Year’s resolution, one that would help my body and mind at the same time.
January 1 was the first day of the 30-day yoga challenge I subscribed to on Youtube, special shoutout to the one and only, Yoga with Adriene. Every day since then, I have taken 25 minutes out of my day to set up in between the big window in my room and my grandmother's bookshelf that I keep planning to paint bright green and do my full yoga practice for the day. It is only 25 minutes, sometimes less, but for the first time maybe ever, I have committed fully to something for 30 straight days, and I am proud of that!
During this time, I have also joined a yoga studio and committed to going at least once a week to practice in person, and oh my gosh does it feel good. During my second time at the studio, I ran in just on time, and only a few spaces were left to lay my mat. So, I found myself front and center, which means when people look up to the instructor, they have to look through me. As a beginner who hasn’t really worked out consistently since high school volleyball, I guess you could say I am a tad out of shape. And I shake like crazy on the mat. And fall over. And often go left when I'm told to go right. And I quickly found that absolutely nobody cares, even when you are highly visible and probably distracting. Yoga provides a safe space to be creative, to push your body just the right amount, and to laugh when your balance is completely off. It’s there for you to explore, to be curious and courageous, and do something for yourself. It slows down your mind and speeds up your heart rate at the same time. When I’m in a new yoga expression, I am fully focused on the expression alone – all other distractions are left at the door. In our crazy, fast-paced world, this is an absolute gift.
Between my daily practice online and my new routine at the studio, I have found my new “thing.” The thing that I can bring friends to do with me, do with strangers, or do completely alone and love it just as much every time. And I found it just in time. As I look ahead and plan to move to a brand-new city for the first time, I want to have a healthy habit I can lean into, when everything else feels wildly off-balanced. I am thrilled at the idea of ending a long day at my new job, in my new life, and walking to a funky yoga studio where I know not a soul. This doesn’t scare me, because the practice will feel familiar, at a time when I am craving familiarity most. I will need a place where I can stretch, release and be reminded to try new things even when it feels like the world is watching. Yoga is going to be this place for me. And hey, who knows, it might just cure my shoulder popping along the way.
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