Lotus Yoga Off The Mat Challenge
Day 12: Yoga and Fatigue

“… the force of the crash was … fatigue”. Diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, the only thing that “significantly relieved their fatigue, strengthened their spirits, brought them peace, and ultimately restored their health was yoga.” (Yoga Journal)

Hello Yogis!

Day 12 of the Lotus Yoga Off The Mat Challenge theme is Yoga and Fatigue. And to be honest, I’m late in getting this post up because, well, I’ve been under the grips of fatigue lately.

We’ve talked about how yoga can restore energy, help us to overcome pain, manage stress, and promote positivity, but today I want to talk specifically about fatigue. While fatigue usually includes all the things we have already addressed in this challenge, it is in and of itself, a real problem. Stress and lack of sleep certainly contribute to fatigue, but the bottom line is that when we are gripped by fatigue, well, we feel like we are on the bottom of everything.

I know that yoga will help me overcome fatigue, but I also struggle to get on the mat when the only thing I want to do is get in bed. So, here’s what works for me: water.

The water holds me, and as I give in to its buoyancy, I begin to rest deeply. It’s like being cradled, and in that lullaby, I begin to move intuitively. My body wants to move. Still floating, I can stretch, and in the stretching, my breath begins to match the movements.

And I realize, I’m doing yoga!

Well, it turns out, there is a reason why water yoga works for me:

“floating in water means blood is diverted around from our lower limbs and pumped towards our abdominal region – the part of the body near the heart – because we are no longer standing upright. Fresh blood being pumped around the body brings more oxygen to our brain which makes us more alert and active” (Daily Benefits of Sea).

Muncie has a wonderful therapy pool at the Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Rehabilitation Center (3600 W. Bethel Ave.).

You do not need to have a prescription for physical therapy or have a doctor’s script to be allowed to use the pool; you just pay $6.00 for each visit and enjoy the pool any way you want.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences with Yoga and fatigue! You can post on the Lotus FaceBook page until we can get the comment feature glitch here sorted out. Pictures on Instagram are also encouraged! Be sure to include the hash tag: #lotusyogaoffthemat in your comment.

Namaste,