I’ve heard these two so many times lately, I thought it is time to address them in writing.
Today we'll take a look at Satori's NO DROP - IN policy {yes, there IS a reason behind my madness!}, and tackle
"how to pick the best-fitting yoga class" next week - I am soooo excited to write that post!
So what’s the NO DROP - IN deal indeed?
Most
yoga studios use a drop-in strategy – or, at the very least, a combination of preregistered and drop-in offerings. The logic behind it is simple: make it as easy as possible for everyone and anyone to attend a class. That’s awesome if your goal is to get people on the mat.
Yoga and meditation are very much alike:
simple and {relatively} easy to start.
Sticking to your guns, especially when the going gets tough, is the challenging part.
It is also – as it often is with challenges - the most rewarding…
If you have been reading satori blog for a while, you know me pretty well by now.
There was NO
way I wasn’t backing up my approach with science - so here goes:
- Human nervous system benefits immensely from a consistent schedule.
This is why traveling can send us into a fibro flare or a bout of constipation.
{For example, I went to
Edmonton for a medical appointment last Thursday - and am definitely not feeling like myself this week. My sleep is all over the map! UGH!}
Routine and consistency are all the more important if you have a sensitive nervous system (some things that sensitize the nervous system are: persistent pain, chronic illness, unchecked stress, overflowing schedules, overtraining, working long hours on a computer.)
- Speaking of the sensitive nervous system: there’s something to be said about the power of connection. Living with persistent pain or chronic illness is often a lonely affair: many of us, at some point in time, have stopped trying to explain what goes on on the inside. And even if our partners, friends and
family are open and receptive, they still might lack the capacity and internal reference to relate to what we are going through.
Pain fades away whenever we connect with others on a deeper level: when we feel heard, understood and accepted just the way we are. Pain fades away when we are immersed in the community of like-minded individuals because our brain produces more endorphins – natural pain killing substances.
Is that kind of connection even possible in a room full of strangers?
- New habits - even healthy new habits – are difficult to adhere to.
It is oh-so-easy to dodge a drop-in class when you are feeling
sub-par; even easier to get swayed if something more interesting pops up into your schedule.
Behavior science suggests committing to a routine and removing the daily decision-making {should I go, should I stay?} as a way around this obstacle.
- Established daily and weekly routines pave
the road to better self-regulation.
Research consistently shows that self-regulation skill is necessary for reliable physical and emotional well being.
Psychology Today defines self-regulation as the ability to act in your long-term best interest, consistent with your deepest values. Violation of one's deepest values causes guilt, shame, and anxiety, which undermine well-being.
I've stuck to a session - exclusive approach right from the very start – and, as you can imagine, had a few spectacular bloopers along the way.
It is always scary as heck to open registrations for a new session, but here we go again!
P.S. As a part of our usual mid-session check - in, we asked currently enrolled students how THEY BENEFIT from session approach. Here is what Shelley said:
"I look forward to each class - a highlight of my week.
The camaraderie in the class makes it even more enjoyable."
