According to a yoga teacher, staying in child’s pose can make for an especially calming yoga practice.

Here’s what happened when she tried it.

Doing so felt most aligned for me in the moment.

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The power of tuning into what your body and soul needs in the present moment is honest and liberating.

Intrusive thoughts took up residence in my mind:Did the teacher think I was being disruptive?

Did the other students see me as an annoyance?

Two young women practicing ballet with a teacher in the dance hall.

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Yoga is about taking what you need, right?

Meaning, its much more than a purely physical exercise.

Asanas alone, though, are not reflective of the full meaning of yoga.

Woman doing hip exercises

But sometimes, you must wrestle or struggle to access peace, and clarity.

I didnt allow my ego to bully me into prioritizing external acceptance over internal need.

Even so, I never intended to go to yoga class and then break down emotionally.

Cropped image of woman doing lunge yoga pose

After paying the $28 class rate, I fully intended to participate.

In fact, movement often supports me in releasing my uninhibited emotions.

But my bodyas I would soon learnwas beckoning for something different.

Woman in leggings and bra doing Lunge with Arm Extended Up pose hip opener stretch during yoga session in morning at home.

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After you fall apart is when you tend to grow.

From there, opportunities can emerge.

Sometimes, getting to that fertile ground may involve crying in childs pose for an entire yoga class.

Woman doing arm exercise without weights while sitting on mat at home.

I allowed myself to soften in a way that movement-focused yoga flows wouldnt have supported.

As my forehead touched the ground, I felt safe to fall apart.

Soon, tears spilled over the edges of my mat.

A woman in sports clothes does yoga or gymnastics at home. Daylight. She smiles

When moments of self-doubt arose, I self-soothed by rocking my forehead back and forth.

I begantapping into my vagus nerve, activating my parasympathetic nervous system, which contributes relaxation of the body.

I embodied compassion for myself.

There is a yoga principle calledbrahmacharya, which means the right use of energy.

To embrace yourself as you are, with all your weaknesses and strengths?

To affirm you are powerful and you always have the choice to take what you need unabashedly?

That feels like a worthwhile way to spend a yoga session to me.

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