What happens when you stop trying to feel better

It was a Tuesday evening when I rolled out my mat. I needed to feel calmer, more centred, less agitated, so I settled into child’s pose, waiting for… well, that feeling that only yoga gives you. And then, somewhere between that first breath and the second, something shifted.

What if I didn’t need to feel better at all?

For years, I’d been using practice like a repair shop. Anxious? Do some breathwork. Tired? Find energy in sun salutations. Sad? Flow it away. My mat became a place where I brought all my broken bits, expecting yoga to hand them back polished and perfect. But here’s what I discovered when I stopped trying to fix myself: my body had never needed fixing in the first place.

When I stopped demanding that practice make me feel better, I started feeling… real. Present with whatever sensation was actually there. The tightness in my chest wasn’t something to breathe away – it was information. The restlessness in my legs wasn’t a problem to solve – it was energy asking to be acknowledged.

I began moving with my feelings instead of against them, moving with what is, rather than towards what should be. There are days where my practice leaves me feeling exactly the same as when I started, and that feels like the most honest gift I can give myself.

If this resonates and you’re curious about practices that meet you exactly where you are, rather than where you think you should be, explore some gentle yin sessions or mindfulness practices.

Sometimes the best thing we can do is simply show up without a plan.

With love and light,
Larthia ✨

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