The 4 Mental Barriers That Hold You Back From True Recovery

Click to watch: FREE 7 Day Yoga Challenge

Somehow we all know that recovery is crucial, and yet we still struggle to get it done. We tell ourselves that we’ll do it next time or that other things are more pressing. And so it rarely makes an appearance in our lives. But why?

Because most of us are set up to fail. We do the bare minimum and expect greatness. Without looking at the mental barriers holding us back we do ourselves a serious disservice. Today, we talk about the 4 most common barriers I hear about on a day-to-day basis when it comes to recovery (and more specifically, when it comes to practicing yoga). 

1. “I’m not good at yoga.” How many times have I heard this one? Of course you suck. You’ve never done it before (insert face palm). Gaining a proficiency in anything takes consistency. Let go of this idea that you’re going to pop into a handstand and wrap your leg around your head. If you can let go of the ego and be a beginner you’re more than halfway there. It’s the fear of embarrassing ourselves that ultimately keeps us from even trying.
   
   
2. “I just don’t have the time.” I know that you know that I know this isn’t true. We pile on the excuses and before we know it, we really don’t have time. One of the things people tend to overlook is that recovery doesn’t have to take hours to do. 5, 10, 15 minutes of strategic effort can do wonders, if practiced consistently. 
   
   
3. “Recovery is boring.” Bottom line, It’s really easy to zone out during your recovery, but it’s so much cooler to tune in. Notice what’s happening in your body. Take a closer look at what’s working and what’s not. It’s only boring if you make it that way. Moving beyond this mindset alters the way you approach your practice and can seep into all aspects of your life, if you let it.
   
   
4. “I’m just not motivated to make it a priority.” Last week I read a post that said: “motivation is for amateurs.” Oh the accuracy. An athlete that relies on motivation is mediocre, at best. I thought about writing something softer there, something that sounded a bit kinder, but then I’d be sugar-coating an obvious truth: Great athletes are not motivated - they’re disciplined. And recovery takes discipline. Once you alleviate this idea that you need motivation to make it a priority, you can make the physical and mental changes necessary to create better habits, which then create better discipline.   

Which one of these resonates most with you (either bc you overcame it or bc you still struggle with it)?