Yoga and our Comfort Zone

Τhe exercise we do on the mat is not just a physical practice - it is a wonderful preparation for life itself. It asks us, gently but firmly, to step out of our safety zone: to balance on one foot, to flip our perspective, to hold our breath, and to stay there, present. And in this little “test,” recognize our natural reaction - the contraction, the fear, the flight - and soften it. To relax into our new shape, that is, to expand the zone in which we feel comfortable.

This is one of the reasons why the practice of yoga differs from simple exercise: it seeks not just a stronger body, but a calmer heart. It asks us to be fully present in every pose, in every breath. And as time passes, the heart rate starts to drop instead of rise. The breath sweetens. The mind doesn't shout, but listens. The face softens and the unnecessary twitches relax.  The nervous system slowly lets go of alertness and returns to trust. Thus, our “comfort zone” expands. And most importantly: no external condition - no matter how demanding - no longer has the power to disturb our internal environment.

In these times, this is valuable. We live in times of transition, where the stable becomes fluid and the familiar asks to be reinvented. Life calls us - perhaps more than ever before - to be flexible, creative and deeply adaptive. And in this canvas of uncertainty, the practice of yoga is not a refuge of escape. It is a place of education. A place for cultivating strength and mental flexibility.

More and more often the words of the great teacher Swami Sivananda resonate within us:

Adapt, adjust, accommodate.

Because nothing stays fixed forever. Changes are as inevitable as they are valuable. And yoga prepares us, gently and consistently, to meet them not with defense but with awareness. Not with fear, but with an open heart. Each time we move beyond our initial "crawl" on the mat, we take a step toward embracing life's changes with courage, presence, and empathy.