"At some point when I was running around doing a bunch of people's work for a project that was supposed to be supported by an entire group, I thought, "Wait a minute. Why am I in this by myself?! Then I remembered something that I'd heard from someone a few years prior that basically asserted non-reciprocal relationships are abusive relationships."
"On days when I feel a little low, I take a spicier class to shift my energy. When I feel ungrounded and anxious, I take yin and restorative to shift my mood. I utilize discernment when I choose what type of yoga practice I need in order to meet myself where I am rather than shoving myself into a practice that doesn't serve me that day."
"The movement of yoga offers us an embodied practice of remembering how we can be off the mat-especially during obligatory and stressful situations, such as the holidays, that can make us feel overwhelmed and disempowered. In those moments, we can remind ourselves that we have the power to say no to others and yes to ourselves. Yoga can remind us that we have power."
Non-reciprocal relationships function as abusive dynamics where one person consistently performs others' work and emotional labor. Movement and yoga practice cultivate embodied discernment and agency that transfer to interpersonal boundaries. Choosing practices—spicier classes for low energy, yin and restorative when anxious—models saying yes to oneself and no to demands that don't serve wellbeing. Holding new boundaries can feel intimidating or uncomfortable, similar to sustaining long or difficult poses, yet persistence and curiosity support growth. Yoga's embodied reminders enable people to recognize power, set limits during obligatory or stressful situations, and protect time and energy from disproportionate caregiving.
Read at Yoga Journal
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