I recently did a 25-minute yoga flow on YouTube. It was the perfect combination of challenging and relaxing. When I finished the class, I realized I wasn’t sweating. I found myself asking, did I do enough?
I immediately took inventory of the workouts I had done that week — some sweaty, some slower paced. Should I have challenged myself more this week? Did I do enough? The underlying question, am I enough?
I was taking the joy out of the movement I had done the past week by comparing myself to an arbitrary standard that doesn’t exist. I was comparing myself to what I’d done in the past, and to what I see other people doing on social media. Neither of these comparisons are helpful.
Finally, I stopped and checked in with myself in that moment. I asked myself, how do you feel after that 25-minute flow? And the truth? I felt great. Full stop. I felt great. If I felt great, why was I trying to ruin it by comparing myself to some “enough” meter that doesn’t exist? I exercise for my mental health, but the stress I placed on myself through comparison negated the endorphins and joy that the class brought me.
I realized I wasn’t trusting my own intuition. It can be hard to be intuitive when we constantly see messages to do more and be more, and are bombarded by what others are doing. I share some of my own yoga practice and exercise routines on social media, never with the goal to make others feel less than. But I recognize that while some may be inspired, I may make others feel like they’re not doing enough. It’s a hard line to walk. When I teach, I constantly remind my students to make the practice work for them, and I want to encourage others on social media to do the same.
Exercise should be about celebrating our bodies. Our output will look different each and every day, depending on our energy level, available time and emotional capacity. Each day is unique, so of course our energy and output will be. Don’t let the “shoulds” or “enoughs” interfere with your own intuition. No matter the time or energy you spent moving your body, as long as you feel good, it’s enough. Don’t doubt yourself or compare yourself to others. Don’t let your mind interrupt your intuition.