Let’s be honest. Some days, the thought of unrolling your Yoga mat feels like a full-body workout in itself.

You want to feel better. You KNOW yoga helps.

But right now?

The couch is warm.

Your motivation is MIA.

And the only thing you’ve been stretching is your relationship with Netflix’s “Are you still watching?” screen.

Welcome to the very human experience of INERTIA.

In physics. inertia is an object’s tendency to stay still unless acted upon by a force.

In Yoga philosophy, we call it Tamas – one of the three qualities of nature.

Tamas is slow, heavy, dull, sleepy. It’s the foggy brain, the unwashed hair and wearing pyjama pants all day.

It’s not laziness. It’s not failure. It’s just…stuckness.

In nervous system language, it’s part of the FREEZE response – the body’s primal reaction to overwhelm.

When your system has been in stress-mode (fight/flight) for too long, it can shut down completely to conserve energy.

It’s not weakness, laziness or lack of discipline. It’s biology.

It’s not a mindset problem.

It’s not a motivation problem.

It’s a nervous system needing LOVE, not lectures.

This might sound strange coming from a Yoga teacher, but I don’t always feel like doing Yoga either.

Especially in winter.

Or when I’m tired.

Or when I just want to slump on the lounge.

But here’s the truth: I NEVER regret doing it.

And I ALWAYS feel better after, even if I only do a few poses.

The best way to overcome inertia and come out of the freeze response is to start small (we don’t need more overwhelm).

Instead of doing a 60-minute Yoga class, just sit on your Yoga mat and do ONE pose for a minute.

Sometimes we adopt this “all or nothing” approach and we mistakenly think that if we can’t do a full hour class then it’s not worth doing anything.

That’s just not true.

Two minutes of Yoga is better than nothing.

It doesn’t need to be complicated.

Simple movements in time with the breath work best for a nervous system stuck in freeze.

Think:

– lying on your back and rolling your knees side to side like windscreen wipers

– cat and cow with your breath

– gentle rocking back and forth from child’s pose to gentle plank

If I waited until I felt motivated to do yoga, I would have done TWO sessions in the last year.

After my mastectomy, I had problems with my sternum, collarbones, spine and skull – I was in constant pain and had a severe headache most days.

I had NO motivation to do anything.

But I remembered that SOMETHING is better than nothing.

And that nothing changes if nothing changes.

Motivation is unreliable. It comes and goes.

Instead, I made sure to leave my Yoga mats rolled out (I have three, one in my office, one in the bedroom and one in the lounge).

And every time I walked past my Yoga mat, it was a loving nudge to get back on my mat.

There was no pressure to do anything.

I think half the battle is just getting on the mat.

If you resonate with inertia and a nervous system stuck in freeze, you’re not alone.

So many of our clients are dealing with burnout, overwhelm, trauma and serious health challenges.

Here’s what I wish people knew about freeze and inertia: you can’t THINK your way out of it.

You MOVE your way out of it.

But not with a hardcore workout or more “discipline”.

You need slow. You need safe. You need small.

And most importantly, you need ZERO PRESSURE to do it perfectly.

So here’s your invitation:

Come back to the mat.

Even if its awkward.

Even if its just TWO minutes.

Even if your Downward Dog feels more like a collapsed tent.

You don’t need to be flexible.

You don’t need to be in the mood.

You don’t even need to wear proper pants.

Just show up for yourself.

Lie in child’s pose. Move slowly. Or come to class and let us guide you back to your breath, your body, your self.

If you can’t quite bring yourself to the studio right now, here are two gentle Yoga classes to soothe your nervous system and help you sleep better.

And if you want to know how to work with your energetic states, join me for Energy Alchemy.

Keep calm,

Not sure yet? Come to a single class first and see how you feel.