The value of consistency
For more than twenty years, Carlos has kept up the practice three days a week, early in the morning. Even during the pandemic, when classes went online, he persisted. “At home, I was able to devote more time to yoga, I do it without timing the beginning or the end of the class. And I’d leave the mat in a corner, so I’d walk by it again and again, stop and do a posture.”
Consistency has also brought gains in sports. Athletic by nature, he still plays futsal and runs and has received many awards. From 2009 until now, he has won 75 prizes in masters-level (over 50 years old) tournaments.
Of course, he recognizes that he feels some pains, but they do not bother him or disrupt his activities. On the contrary, he manages without having to take medication. His performance in physical activities has improved, especially when it comes to breathing. At 63, watching him in a match with his friends, it is undeniable how much better his performance is than the others. He runs around the court for a long time and maintains normal breathing, while others lose their breath easily. “Attention to how we breathe is incorporated with practice. Of course, I don’t intellectualize how I should breathe, it happens naturally and so does the recovery during a match.”
—-
More than twenty years have passed, and for him, every day is proof of the value consistent yoga practice has brought to his life. After all, he is better today than in the beginning, and he realizes this not only in his breathing or sports performance but also in other areas of life. If there were any doubts, they have been answered. It takes belief and persistence in the practice to see results.
“We have to believe in everything we do, because if we don’t believe in it, it won’t work out”. In an analysis of his own physical state, mood, and well-being, Carlos wonders how he would be if he had not chosen to follow the yoga practice. What level of pain would he have? “Probably terrible.” Based on his current performance, Carlos considers that the age of his body is at least ten years less than the real one. He reinforces that the high performance is due to his superior cardiorespiratory capacity.
During this time dedicated to yoga, he has recommended the practice to friends, relatives, and acquaintances. From most of them, he heard surprising reports about the benefits they experienced. “When I returned to the classes, I met friends who had had accidents and are now doing fine. So I am not the only one to experience a profound improvement, but the others I have referred also have this experience.”
One of them was a fellow soccer player who was also suffering with a lot of pain and physical problems from all the body wear and tear from competing and training. “I told him to do yoga because he wouldn’t be able to continue as he was for much longer with our suffering further issues.” If it was a recommendation that transformed the fellow athlete’s life, now Carlos shares the same advice with others. “Recommending yoga is the best recommendation I can make to a friend.”
[Conclusion]
Consistency is a superpower
In May 2022, Carlos participated in a futsal tournament in Vila Velha, in Espírito Santo, in the physical condition he had more than 20 years ago when he competed. Even today, he is among the ten best semi-professional futsal athletes in the country, and his high performance is due to yoga. Having his body performing and available in this way was only possible because he maintained consistency in the practice. When he realized the positive changes that the Method brought to his life and performance in sports, he became more inspired to continue with the activity.
Many students have experienced such results over the decades, and these success stories are not restricted to those who have specific skills or already practice a sport. Everyone can have a more available body, increase mobility, improve physical and mental health, and can age without losses. Just consider yoga as a self-care activity that promotes adaptability and connection between body and mind.
Day after day, students are educated to see consistency as the key to positive health outcomes. In classrooms, whether in-person or online, individuals from diverse backgrounds and physical issues come together to restore their bodies through yoga. However, to achieve the biomechanical transformations offered by the Method, one must be consistent in practice.
Carlos originally came to yoga as an act of self-care to find relief from his acute pain. Although, with time and consistency, he got much more than that, tapping into unlimited potential, the source of longevity. If he maintains his performance today, it is because more than 20 years ago, he began the journey of healing through yoga.
Thank you.