An Athlete's Dilemma; The Body Connection

"One would think athletes are connected to their bodies, but it's actually quite the opposite..If they were, they wouldn't put themselves in harm's way." (Keith Mitchell, former NFL linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars)

Keith Mitchell, former NFL linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars, sustained a spinal cord injury and found himself paralyzed after a devastating tackle in 2003. Yoga, which was introduced to him in the hospital, now has him not only walking but practicing and teaching yoga as well. An article about his experience was passed along to me today and is such an amazing reminder of how important it is for all people, and especially athletes, who tend to put their bodies through the ringer, to learn to tune in to, respond to, and honor what their bodies need to keep them strong, healthy, and most importantly, safe. 

When I was running at least 30+ miles a week and training for marathons, I really thought I was connected to, in tune with, and had compassion for my body. The truth, I've come to realize, was that I was quite the opposite for the very reason Mitchell states above - I put my body in harm's way over and over again. I ran when my body was tired and begged for rest. I ran through pain and illness.  I ran through just about everything until I started practicing yoga on a regular basis. Suddenly my body began to feel different. It felt better, it was happier, it even looked and felt stronger. For the first time, I could actually hear and respond to what my body needed each day. Now I know that some days it needs rest, other days a nice long run is what its craving. But yoga has been the key to opening up my eyes and ears to what is important for me and for my body each day.  

Running is great exercise, there's no arguing that. But if we're not careful, it can have the opposite effect, causing excess stress to our skeletal and muscular system and increasing our risk for injury. We're often led to believe that more is better - run faster, run longer, run harder. But when we do this without listening to our bodies when they beg for rest, when we ignore the pain and push through, we are abusing our body. The body is something to be cherished, not abused. It is the vessel that carries us through life, creates and sustains new life, and harbors our soul. Yoga can help us to find balance within ourselves so that we can also find balance in what we demand from our physical selves.