"You Should Try Yoga"

For everyone who suffers from chronic illness or mental illness this phrase is not foreign to you. Everyone (Without an MD might I add) tries to give you a remedy to "cure" yourself, and yet we are stuck here screaming in our heads "IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT!!" and yet too often many of us just sit in silence and nod and smile; and let's be easiest sometimes we want to just conserve energy/spoons.

But what if we decide to finally lay it down for Karen and her yoga and new diets and crystals*? Well, good for you. It's time we start standing up for ourselves. Even if you don't convince the other person, defending your case can be rewarding (and honestly, their loss if they can't learn from you)

Tell them they aren't a doctor, that right now you are only taking medical advice from those who are qualified to give it.

Tell them you are already on a strict diet.

Tell them you can't do yoga and explain why your body doesn't allow for it. And listen if you have to fudge and say you asked your doctor about doctor and, golly gee, the doctor said no; then just say it. (Anything to get them to listen)

And finally, some new advice I heard, tell them you already do these things. Tell them you do yoga everyday and yet here you are still sick/ still with a mental illness.

It's never easy to deal with these opinions so constantly. But sometimes sticking it back to whoever said it to you can frankly just be rewarding in itself.

Let us know if you have any other tips on how to confront the local yogie.

-Kayla J.

*PSA I do yoga in the morning, I'm on a keto diet, and I love my crystals, this post isn't anti- any of those things, just anti- anyone who thinks these things are a cure-all.