I, like many people, started practicing yoga because it made me feel good. My body was less tense. I felt less stressed. I became a teacher because I wanted to share this less stressed, less tense way of living with the world, and then, I had classes where I definitely did not feel better afterwards.
My teacher was asking me to hold Plank for a seemingly long amount of time, and anger, frustration, and resistance start to bubble up. Then, he or she mentions having more gratitude, and all I can think of is how grateful I would be for a margarita right about now.
Yoga doesn’t always leave you with the warm fuzzies.
If anything, asana practice simply increases our own awareness of the physical experience.
Lauren Burkart 