
Photo by Leslie Shipper
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We’ve all heard it before: The power of positive thinking can change our lives and encourage personal growth. Plenty of studies back that up—according to one recent Harvard study, women who were optimistic actually lived longer than those who were less-so. We see less dramatic examples of this on the mat all the time. For me, it was Chair Pose. I used to grimace when it was called, thinking somehow that the teacher would realize my discontent and change up the flow. Years of unanswered grimaces caused me to hate the pose with even more veracity than with which I began. And then one teacher randomly made me laugh while in it, acknowledging how horrid the pose could be. As soon as I smiled, it magically became easier. I’ve smiled in every Chair Pose since, and I no longer dread it. “There is so much synergy between how we hold ourselves, and the energy that we have in every single walk of life,” says Luke Milton, fitness trainer and former Australian National Rugby League player. The same can be said in fitness. When we approach our practice with positivity—whatever it may be, even if it extends beyond our comfort zone—we learn how not only to accept challenges that scare us, but also, just how capable we really are. “So many people will go into fitness, regarding the health, regarding their body, being confused in the process,” says Luke. “My job is to reinforce common sense back into the industry, because if you're good at something, you can be good at everything. It's a learned skill.” It’s this way of thinking that allows even the most ardent detractor of Chair Pose to learn to love it. When we approach physical challenge in our practice with the positive outlook that we can overcome the negative voice inside that says “we can’t,” we set a tone—not only for class, but for our lives.
We’ve all heard it before: The power of positive thinking can change our lives and encourage personal growth. Plenty of studies back that up—according to one recent Harvard study, women who were optimistic actually lived longer than those who were less-so. We see less dramatic examples of this on the mat all the time. For me, it was Chair Pose. I used to grimace when it was called, thinking somehow that the teacher would realize my discontent and change up the flow. Years of unanswered grimaces caused me to hate the pose with even more veracity than with which I began. And then one teacher randomly made me laugh while in it, acknowledging how horrid the pose could be. As soon as I smiled, it magically became easier. I’ve smiled in every Chair Pose since, and I no longer dread it. “There is so much synergy between how we hold ourselves, and the energy that we have in every single walk of life,” says Luke Milton, fitness trainer and former Australian National Rugby League player. The same can be said in fitness. When we approach our practice with positivity—whatever it may be, even if it extends beyond our comfort zone—we learn how not only to accept challenges that scare us, but also, just how capable we really are. “So many people will go into fitness, regarding the health, regarding their body, being confused in the process,” says Luke. “My job is to reinforce common sense back into the industry, because if you're good at something, you can be good at everything. It's a learned skill.” It’s this way of thinking that allows even the most ardent detractor of Chair Pose to learn to love it. When we approach physical challenge in our practice with the positive outlook that we can overcome the negative voice inside that says “we can’t,” we set a tone—not only for class, but for our lives.
