The Day My Yoga Practice Met My Blood Pressure
This weekend, I felt a little like a fraud.
Sitting in the doctor’s surgery, I was told I have high blood pressure, probably due to stress. So… wait, your yoga teacher has high blood pressure?!
The lovely nurse explained it could be the “white coat effect” (we all get nervous at the doctor’s), but it really gave me pause for thought.
Yes, my last decade has been stressful. I lost my dad, went through a divorce, ride the ongoing waves of single parenting, and am self-employed in an industry that’s supposedly worth billions. But let me tell you - most of those billions are made by people who’ve never taught (or even been to) a single yoga class. Mat companies. Legging companies. Those are the people making the money.
Anyway… that’s for another blog post.
So there I sat with my high blood pressure, trying not to spiral further into stress, and I thought: Yes. I AM an anxious person. I always have been. And right now, life is amplifying that even more.
And so I went where I’ve gone for comfort and support more than anywhere else over the last decade: to my practice. To my mat. And, in this particular instance, to a brilliant book that had just arrived that weekend (Hi, my name is Lucy and I do have an addiction to yoga, wellbeing and self-help books - more on that next week): Yoga Life: Habits, Poses and Breathwork to Channel Joy Amid the Chaos by Brett Larkin, founder of Uplifted Yoga.
Me and Brett’s book - LOVING it, highly recommend!
In it, she talks about the Doshas - the three elements in Ayurveda believed to be present in every body and mind. Interestingly, the word “Dosha” translates to “that which can cause problems,” because when these elements are balanced, we thrive. When they’re not, they show up as physical issues or mental patterns.
The three Doshas are:
Vata (Air) – Energetic, creative, lively
Pitta (Fire) – Strong-willed, determined, decisive
Kapha (Earth) – Steady, stable, with great stamina
We all contain all three, but one usually dominates. The goal isn’t equal thirds; it’s finding your optimal combination so you can feel your most joyful, energised self.
Here’s a quick snapshot of each Dosha in and out of balance:
Vata – Loves creating, big-picture thinker. Out of balance: scattered, overwhelmed, irrational, perfectionistic. In balance: visionary, magnetic, grounded in action.
Pitta – Thrives under pressure. Out of balance: controlling, irritable, impatient. In balance: empowering, decisive leader.
Kapha – Loves calm and routine. Out of balance: stuck, lethargic, demotivated. In balance: healer energy, steady, reliable.
(If you’re curious, there are lots of ‘Discover Your Dosha’ quizzes you can do online)
Anyway, back to the doctor’s surgery.
For most of my life, I was all Fire: Pitta with a dash of Vata and very little Kapha. These days, though? The fast pace of life, being self-employed, a million ideas swirling in my brain… I’ve tipped into a serious Vata imbalance. Regular overwhelm, high stress, decision paralysis - and now, high blood pressure.
I need to bring this baby right down.
And so, to the mat, my friends.
Those who know me will agree: slow and steady has never been my default setting - on or off the mat. But I’m realising it’s the medicine I need. This morning I guided the SoulTribe crew through a grounding flow to anchor and calm. And honestly? It worked. I even managed to focus long enough to write this blog! I’ve often heard the phrase “what you resist the most is the medicine you need”. And when it comes to yoga, I’m beginning to fully understand that.
It also came up on J Brown’s Yoga Talks podcast today—a brilliant listen, by the way: if your life is already fast-paced off the mat, is a fast-paced practice really the best medicine on the mat? And if motivation is low in life, will a purely restorative practice truly serve you?
(Side note: it’s interesting how many hot yoga and power flow classes are packed with younger people. In this short-attention-span world, maybe slow and gentle is actually the real medicine they need.)
I’ve long thought of yoga as moving medicine. And this makes it crystal clear: if we can bring awareness to our patterns, our Doshas, and use yoga as a tool to balance them, maybe we can take a real step toward healing.
That’s what this yoga teacher will be doing… and hopefully, lowering her blood pressure in the process.
With love,
Lucy x